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LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

%eceivei1        JAN  13    1893  .  iSq 
i/lccessioiis  No.  So-cr^  t    .  c/ass  h/o. 


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THE 


Military  Telegraph 


DTTKING  THE 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES, 


AN    EXPOSITION    OF    ANCIENT   AND    MODERN    MEANS    OF 

COMMUNICATION,  AND   OF  THE   FEDERAL   AND 

CONFEDERATE   CIPHER   SYSTEMS; 


Running  Account  of  the  War  between  the  States. 


WILLIAM    R.    PLUM,    LL.  B., 

OF  THE  CHICAGO  BAR. 

'  OT  XHB       -T-^      VOL.  I. 

'TJHIVBHSITT, 

CHICAGO: 
JANSEN,    McCLURG   &    COMPANY,    PUBLISHERS, 

1882. 


5'crtrSf 

Copyright,  1882,  by 
WILLIAM    R.    PLUM 


Printed  by  Donnelley,  Cassette  &  Loyd,  Chicago. 


TO 

THE  MEMORY  OF   THOSE   OF   THE 
UNITED  STATES  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   CORPS,  WHO  DIED  WHILE   SERVING 

THEIR  COUNTRY; 
OF  THOSE  WHOSE  DEMISE  AT   HOME  RESULTED   FROM  THE 
EXPOSURES  OF  SUCH  SERVICE, 
AND  OF  THOSE  WHO  FROM   OTHER  CAUSES  HAVE  FOLLOWED  THEIR  LAMENTED 

CO-PATRIOTS; 

THESE  PAGES  ARE  SACREDLY  DEDICATED, 

IN  THE  SINCERE  HOPE   THAT  THEREBY  THE  STORY  OF  THEIR  HEROIC  ACTS 

MAY  BE  PRESERVED, 

AND  THE  MEMORY  OF   THOSE   NOT  YET  CALLED, 

PERPETUATED.' 


PKEFACE. 


A  STRONG  conviction  that  the  members  of  the  United  States 
Military  Telegraph  Corps,  whose  services  were  so  essential  to 
the  overthrow  of  the  Rebellion,  have  been  unkindly  overlooked 
by  the  Federal  Government  and  the  historian ;  and  the  daily 
increasing  indications  that  their  noble  work,  performed  in  times 
and  places  of  greatest  danger,  was  surely  passing  into  unmerited 
oblivion,  on  whose  brink  much  of  the  data  collected  for  this 
work  were  found,  has  alone  impelled  me  to  spend  so  much  of 
my  time  as  has  been  necessary  to  prepare  this  history. 

The  idea  is  too  generally  accepted  that  all  the  credit  for 
crushing  the  Rebellion  belongs  to  the  army.  If  any  one  shall 
read  these  volumes  without  realizing  that  Congress  in  confeft-ing 
upon  the  army,  composed  as  it  was  of  as  brave  and  patriotic 
men  as  ever  lived,  all  the  honors  and  rewards  due  for  military 
gallantry  and  usefulness,  did  gross  injustice  to  the  members  of 
the  Telegraph  Corps,  then  I  have  injured  "with  faint  praise"  a 
cause  deserving  better  representation. 

Very  many  Southern  operators  have  furnished  interesting  and 
important  reminiscences  of  incidents  which  occurred  within  the 
Confederate  lines.  They  form  as  much  a  part  of  the  telegraphic 
war  history  as  the  operations  of  the  Southern  forces  do  of  the 
military  history  of  the  Great  Conflict ;  therefore,  and  because 
they  are  of  themselves  worth  preserving,  I  have  woven  them  into 
the  general  fabric  of  this  work. 

To  illustrate  the  importance  of  the  telegraph,  and  give  it 
its  due  setting  ;  to  present  it  as  it  was,  surrounded  by  all  that 
pertains  to  war,  it  was  essential  to  give  a  running  account  of  the 
armed   struggle   itself.      In   this   I  have    been   greatly    aided    by 

V. 


Vi  PREFACE. 

important  telegrams,  and  other  papers,  official  and  otherwise, 
which  have  never  been  published  ;  also  by  information  from. tele- 
graph officials  and  operators  who  were  "in  the  secret "  or  ", behind 
the  scenes."  So  far  as  I  have  told  the  story  of  the  war,  I  have 
striven  to  be  accurate  and  just  ;  avoiding  debatable  questions 
and  seeking  concisely  to  state  material  facts.  Thus  I  have  aimed 
to  make  this  a  readable  history,  useful  and  interesting  to  all 
classes,  for  in  no  other  way  could  the  story  of  the  army  telegrapher 
become  known  to  the  general  public. 

I  am  deeply  indebted  to  the  late  officers  of  the  Corps,  with 
an  exception  or  two,  and  to  hundreds  of  operators,  for  most  of 
the  facts  related  herein.  Their  very  cordial  assistance  has  alone 
buoyed  me  up  to  the  completion  of  my  task,  which,  added  to 
the  labors  of  my  profession,  compelled  a  temporary  relief  from 
both. 

While  I  may  have  been  misled  in  a  few  recitals  that  I  do 
not  suspect,  I  am  conscious  of  the  probability  of  some  errors  in 
regard  to  the  location  of  operators  at  certain  times.  Owing  to 
deaths,  want  of  addresses  or  failures  to  respond,  some  of  their 
locations  herein  given  have  not  been  susceptible  of  verification. 
In  such  cases,  official  monthly  reports  and  the  recollections  or 
memoranda  of  others  have  been  my  authority.  However,  when 
any  incident  hinged  upon  names  or  localities,  they  are  believed 
to  have  been  correctly  stated. 

General  Sherman  recently,  in  conversation,  corrected  my  use 
of  the  word  "  corps "  as  applied  to  the  army  telegraph  service. 
Technically,  he  was  right,  but  only  so  because  the  telegraphers 
were  not  organized  as  a  body,  pursuant  to  a  law.  Perhaps 
"department,"  or  any  other  word,  would  be  as  open  to  objec- 
tion, and  yet  a  noun  seemed  necessary,  and  consequently,  I  have 
in  the  main  adopted  the  word  "  corps,"  for  which  I  have  the 
precedent  of  Secretary  Stanton  and  scores  of  others,  including 
many  army  officers  of   high  rank. 

A   large   percentage    of    the   members   of    the    Corps   are    in 


PREFACE.  VU 

their  graves.  The  past,  to  them,  is  beyond  recall;  even  a  patriotic 
and  liberal  people  can  not  now  reward  the  valor  of  those  intrepid 
telegraphers  who  have  crossed  that  river  over  which  nothing 
returns.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  these  pages  will  at  least  preserve 
the  story  of  their  exploits,  and  if,  perchance,  the  powers  in 
Washington  are  incited  to  devise  some  plan  of  recognition  com- 
mensurate with  the  service,  it  would  be  a  proud  satisfaction  for 
all  concerned. 


ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   VOLUME   I. 


PORTRAITS. 

Page. 
Gen.  Anson  Stager,        ...-.-       frontispiece 

Andrew  Carnegie,    --------66 

David  Strouse,     ----•-•-  80 

Col.  J.  J.  S.  Wilson, 118 

Col.  William  G.  Fuller,         .-..--         263 

Col.  John  C.  VanDuzer,      -  -  •  •  -  -    304 

Col.  Robert  C.  Clowry,  -.         -  •  -  -  •         347 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

Confederate  Telegraph  Cryptographic  Key,           -           -  -      38 

Confederate  Mail  Cryptographic  Key,      -           -           -           -  41 

Nichols'  Office,        -           -           -           -           •           •           -  -    150 

Parker's  Office,  --------  214 

Drawing  Battery  Material,        -           -           -           -           -  -    245 

Smith's  Prize,       .-----.-  247 

Dougherty's  Air  Loom,  -,.---    281 

That  **  Rough  Old  Tar," 337 


MAPS. 

1.  Showing  Portions  of  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Virginia  and 

West  Virginia,  .......  74-5 

2.  Showing  Portions  op  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  -  -      122-3 

3.  Showing  Portions  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  -  122-3 

4.  Showing   Portions   of   Missouri,    Kentucky,    Tennessee  and 

Mississippi,        ...--.-  252-3 

5.  Showing  Portions  of  Arkansas,  Louisiana  and  Mississippi,    314-15 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Ancient  and  Modern  means  of  Communication  for  War  Purposes,  •       9 

CHAPTER  II. 

War  Cryptographs,       -  -  -       '    -  -  -  -  -      33 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  United  States  Military  Telegraph ;  its  Initial  State  and  Early  Opera- 
tions, -  -  -  -        *  -  -  -  -      62 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Early  Operations  in  Western  Virginia,  -  -  -  •  -      92 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Southwest  early  in  the  War,        -..--.    108 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Corps  Organized.— Biographical  Mention.— A  View  of  the  Telegraphs 
South. — The  Fort  Monroe  line. — The  Monitor  and  Merrimac. — The 
Peninsular  Campaign. — A  View  along  the  Coast. — Banks'  Defeat  in 
the  Valley. — Experience  of  Captured  Operators. —  Affairs  in  West 
Virginia,        -         -  - 127 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Telegraph  in  the  Southwest. — Fort  Donelson. — Pea  Ridge. — Island 

No.  10.— Memphis,  -  -  -  -  -  -  -    170 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Telegraph  in  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Northern  Alabama. —  Mill 

Springs. — Cumberland  Gap. — Morgan's  Raid  in  Kentucky. — Shiloh,    187 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Telegraph  with  General  Pope  in  Virginia. — Cedar  Mountain. — Grove- 
■     ton. — Chantilly. — Harper's  Ferry. — South  Mountain. — Antietam,      -    216 


Xll  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Telegraph  in  West  TenncHsee  and  Northern  Mississippi  during  the  last 
half  of  1802, — Farmingtou, — luka. — Corinth. — Van  Dorn's  and  For- 
rest's Ilaids. — Grant  versus  the  U.  B.  M.  T. — Chickasaw  Bluffs. — Ar- 
kansas Post,  ........    242 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Telegraph  in  Tennessee  and  Kentucky. — Forrest's,  Woodward's  and 
Morgan's  Raids. — Buell's  Army  retires  to  Kentucky. —  Cumberland 
Gap  Evacuated. — Richmond,  (Ky.) — Numerous  Incidents. —  Perry- 
ville. —  Rosecrans  Supersedes  Buell. —  Nashville  Affairs. —  Stone  Riv- 
er.— Excitement  in  Nashville. —  Morgan  again  in  Kentucky. — Spies 
Hung. — Operators  Tap  Confederate  Telegraphs,  -  -  -    273 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Telegraph  about  Vicksburg  and  in  West  Tennessee. — The  Vicksburg 
Campaign. — Various  Fe(f eral  Raids.  — Champion  Hills.  — Affairs  about 
Cairo, -  -  -  -    313 

CHAP'^ER  XIII. 

The  Telegraph  in  Arkansas  and  Missouri  in  1863.— Helena.— Little  Rock 
Campaign. — Other  Campaigns  and  Conflicts  in  Missouri  and  Arkan- 
sas.—An  Operator  Hung,  ......    333 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Telegraph  in  Virginia  during  the  Fredericksburg  and  Chancellors- 

ville  Campaigns. — Suffolk. — Various  Raids,       ....    351 

APPENDIX. 
Cipher  Number  Nine  Complete,         ......    870 


>^  09  THE        ' 

fnNIVBUSI 

THE 

MILITARY   TELEGRAPH 


DURIXO   THE 


CiYiL  Wae  ijs^  the   United  States 


CHAPTER   I. 

ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  MEANS    OF  COMMUNICATION  FOR 
WAR  PURPOSES. 

Ours  is  an  age  of  rapid  achievements.  Cultivated  aptitude 
has  revolutionized  the  world.  Performance  has  been  reduced 
to  a  minimum  of  time  and  space  to  a  question  of  time.  Long 
lives  are  compassed  in  an  ordinary  span  :  distances  no  longer 
appall :  we  are  making  the  most  of  time  and  the  least  of 
space.  Steam  made  the  millions  acquainted  with  each  other, 
and  electricity  has  enabled  them  to  maintain  daily  communi- 
cation. Thus  many  peoples  have  become  interested  in  one 
another,  and  thus  they  are  held  to  a  stricter  accountability  for 
their  national  conduct  than  ever  before.  The  opinion  of  the 
world  has  become  a  powerful  international  factor.  The  soldier, 
for  long,  dark  and  nearly  fruitless  years,  led  the  world  ;  now 
the  inventor,  the  philosopher,  the  scientist,  the  artist  and 
artisan,  the  press  and  the  pulpit,  the  jurist  and  publicist,  lead 
in  the  van  to  grand,  but  mainly  peaceful,  achievements.  But 
wars,  though  less  frequent,  still  occur ;  their  conduct,  however, 
owing  to  the  use  of  the  telegraph,  is  changed,  and  what 
might,  but  for  it,  distress  a  nation  indefinitely,  is  now  made 
comparatively   short. 

If  the  ingenuity  of  man  has  provided  weapons  of  offense 
and  defense  greatly  superior  to  the  bow,  sling  and  shield, 
it  has  also  produced  means  of  conveying  intelligence  far  more 


10  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

efficient  than  the  runner,  the  voice  and  the  beacon.  One  im- 
provement has  been  the  necessity  of  others.  These  were 
heralded,  and  the  civilized  world  moves  abreast,  instead  of  in 
Indian  file. 

It  is  believed  that  no  nation  was  ever,  in  times  of  war, 
content  to  await  even  the  speediest  methods  of  conveying 
news  of  battle  in  which  its  forces  were  engfaffed.  It  is  while 
a  battle  is  impending  that  the  nations  involved  manifest  their 
supreme  solicitude,  for  nothing  so  greatly  imperils  their 
autonomy. 

All  wars  illustrate  the  importance  of  the  means  of  speedy 
communication.  In  case  of  being  hard  pressed,  succor  is 
afibrded ;  in  case  of  defeat,  retreat  is  aided  ;  in  case  of  cap- 
ture, the  cities  behind  are  put  in  a  state  of  defense  ;  in  case 
of  victory,  new  columns  are  started  from  other  points ;  if 
ammunition  is  becoming  exhausted,  more  is  forthcoming,  and 
supplies  are  forwarded  to  meet  at  its  new  base  a  victorious 
army  —  hence  it  is  of  vital  importance  that  news  of  the  real 
issue  of  a  campaign  be  known  by  the  authorities  as  soon  as 
the  result  is  developed.  Argument  would  be  wasted  in  proving 
this  axiomatic  truth.  During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  in 
the  United  States,  the  electro  -  magnetic  telegraph  oftentimes 
spread  reports  of  the  progress  of  battle  throughout  the 
land  before  either  side  had  won  the  day.  If  we  stop  to 
reflect  —  for  we  are  so  used  to  such  wonders  now  that  we 
regard  them  as  matters  of  course,  and  need,  therefore,  reflect  — 
we  marvel  that  it  has  become  possible  to  convey,  print,  and 
circulate  upon  the  streets,  facts  concerning  a  pending  battle 
hundreds  of  miles  away. 

Like  a  few  great  actors,  who  play  all  parts  well,  the  tele- 
graph upon  the  stage  of  life  is  successful  in  every  role.  But, 
like  them,  it  has  its  specialties.  The  tragedy  of  war  presents 
one  of  the  scenes  best  adapted  to  bring  out  its  most  powerful 
acting.  In  this  volume,  we  have  sought  to  bring  to  view  at 
the  footlights  of  a  stage  many  thousand  miles  in  extent,  such 
a  tragedy,  in  which  much  unsuspected  history  is  developed  by 
the  heroic  devotees  of  the  telegraph,  who  have  deserved  well 
of  their  country. 

That  we  may  the  better  appreciate  the  telegi'aphic  advant- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  11 

ages  we  enjoyed  during  our  late  war,  it  will  be  found  useful, 
as  well  as  instructive  and  entertaining,  to  note  what  steps 
mark  the  progress  by  which  we  have  outgrown  all  former 
means,  and  reached  the  acme  of  human  inventions,  the  electric 
telegraph. 

Running. 

Then  said  Ahimaaz,the  son  of  Zadok,  Let  me  now  run,  and  bear  the  king 
tidings,  how  that  tlie  Lord  hath  avenged  him  of  his  enemies. — 2  Samuel, 
xviii,  19. 

And  tlie  watchman  said,  Me  thinketh  the  running  of  the  foremost  is  like 
the  running  of  Ahimaaz  the  son  of  Zadok.  And  the  king  said,  He  is  a  good 
man,  and  cometh  with  good  tidings. — Ihid,  27. 

Doubtless  this  was  the  earliest,  as  it  was  the  most  natural 
means  of  conveying  messages.  Among  all  people  there  have 
ever  been  athletes  who  won  applause  by  their  endurance,  and  in 
very  olden  times  there  were  practiced  runners,  who  seemed  in- 
capable of  fatigue  or  exhaustion,  and  who  were  able  to  make 
great  distances  in  remarkably  short  time.  Then  men  were  very 
animal ;  their  bodies  were  developed  at  the  expense  of  their 
brain ;  hence  the  body  had  extra  duty  to  perform,  perhaps  the 
most  trying  of  which  was  in  carrying  war  dispatches. 

In  ancient  Greece,  there  were  trained  runners  whose  recorded 
feats  are  quite  surprising  ;  thus,  it  is  written  that  on  one  occasion, 
when  Athens  required  aid,  Philippides  ran  to  Lacedaemon,  a 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  forty-two  miles,  in  two  days,  to 
solicit  it,  and,  what  is  quite  as  remarkable,  that  in  three  days 
after  starting,  the  Spartan  soldiers  were  in  Athens.  But  Pliny, 
who  mentions  Philippides'  feat,  says  it  was  thought  to  be  remark- 
able until  '' Amystis,  the  Lacedaemonian  courier,  and  Philonides, 
the  courier  of  Alexander  the  Great,  ran  from  Sicyon  to  Elis  in 
one  day,  a  distance  of  thirteen  hundred  and  five  stadia,"  or  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  as  if  that  yarn  wasn't  as  big  as  he 
could  tell,  he  proceeds  to  relate  that  in  Eome,  a  circus  boy  of 
eight  years,  ran  seventy-five  miles  between  morning  and  evening. 

How  familiarly  has  Sir  Walter  Scott  made  known  to  us,  in 
his  "Lady  of  the  Lake,"  the  manner  of  summoning  clansmen  to 
arms  and  rendezvous  in  Scotland,  in  the  fifteenth  century  : 

Speed,  Malise,  speed !  he  said,  and  gave 
The  crosslet  to  his  henchman  brave. 


12  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

The  muster  place  be  Lanrick  mead — 
Instant  the  time — speed,  Malise,  speed! 
***** 

Herald  of  battle,  fate,  and  fear. 
Stretch  onward  in  thy  fleet  career ! 

danger,  death  and  warrior  deed. 

Are  in  thy  course — Speed,  Malise,  speed! 

The  Human  Voice. 

And  when  they  told  it  to  Jotham,  he  went  and  stood  in  the  top  of  Mount 
Gerizim,  and  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  cried,  and  said  unto  them.  Hearken  unto 
me,  ye  men  of  Shechem,  that  God  may  hearken  unto  you. — Judges,  ix.  7. 

It  would  be  astonishing,  if  not  trite,  that  by  cultivation  every 
faculty  of  man  may  be  improved.  This  is  marked  as  to  the 
delicate  organs  of  speech,  which  by  proper  exercise  may  be 
made  to  compass  great  distances.  The  ancients  understood  this 
as  well  as  we,  and  employed  the  voice  much  more  than  we  to 
communicate  at  distances.  Aside  from  Hebraic  illustrations, 
we  are  told  that  Darius  Hystaspis  (B.  C.  485),  the  father  of 
Xerxes,  the  Persian  king,  placed  upon  eminences  certain  dis- 
tances apart,  men  of  great  vocal  capacity,  who  were  called  the 
"ears  of  the  king,"  and  by  them  the  king  is  said  to  have  been 
able  to  forward  messages  a  distance  of  thirty  days'  journey  in  a 
single  day.  The  Gauls,  in  Caesar's  time  (B.  C.  75),  were  able 
thus  to  proclaim  by  the  wings  of  the  wind,  war  alarms,  so  that 
within  three  days'  time,  all  the  tribes  were  under  orders.  To  do 
this,  men  went  upon  the  hill  tops  and  shouted  the  news  or  orders 
to  all  points  of  the  horizon.  Thus,  important  messages  were 
vocally  telegraphed  from  Auvergne  to  the  sacred  forests  of 
Amorica  and  the  marshes  of  the  Rhine.  To  this  day,  in  Albania, 
are  messages  sped  by  vocal  waves  over  valleys  to  hill  tops  many 
miles  off,  and  we  are  told  that  about  Gibraltar  the  human  voice 
may  be  heard  a  greater  distance  than  that  of  any  animal ;  that 
if  the  wife  wishes  to  call  her  husband  from  a  distance,  ''  she  does 
not  shout,  but  pitches  her  voice  to  a  musical  key,  which  she 
knows  from  habit,  and  by  that  means  reaches  his  ear. " 

In  Scott's  ''Anne  of  Geirstein,"  concerning  this  practice  in 
Switzerland,  we  read:  ''The  maidens  will  converse  with  each 
other,  in  that  manner,  from  cliff  to   cliff,  through   storm  and 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  13 

tempest,  were  there  a  mile  between  ; "  and  again,  speaking  of 
an  Englishman,  "He  attempted  to  do  so,  but,  inexperienced  in 
the  art  of  making  himself  heard  in  such  a  country,  he  pitched 
his  voice  in  the  same  key  with  that  of  the  roar  of  wave  and 
wind;  so  that  even  at  twenty  yards  from  the  place  where  he  was 
speaking,  it  must  have  been  totally  indistinguishable  from  that 
of  the  elemental  war  around  them.  The  lad  smiled  at  his  pa- 
tron's ineffectual  attempts,  and  then  raised  his  voice  himself,  in  a 
high,  wild  and  prolonged  scream,  which,  while  produced  with 
apparently  much  less  effort  than  that  of  the  Englishman,  was 
nevertheless  a  distinct  sound,  separated  from  others  by  the  key 
to  which  it  was  pitched,  and  was  probably  audible  to  a  very  con- 
siderable distance.  It  was  presently  answered  by  distinct  cries 
of  the  same  nature. " 

Caerier  Pigeons. 

B.  C.  3155, — "  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days;  and  again  he  sent  forth 
the  dove  out  of  the  ark ;  and  the  dove  came  in  to  him  in  the  evening ;  and,  lo, 
in  her  moutli  was  an  olive-leaf  plucked  off.  So  Noah  knew  that  the  waters 
were  abated  from  off  the  earth. — Gen.  viii,  10,  11. 

In  some  countries,  carrier  pigeons  are  highly  esteemed  to  this 
day,  although  their  usefulness  has  largely  been  supplanted  by 
the  electric  telegraph.  Devotees  of  this  bird  find  pleasure  in  the 
belief  that  the  messenger  Noah  sent  out  was  an  original  carrier 
pigeon.  As  there  is  "nothing  new  under  the  sun,"  so  in  part 
proof  we  have  in  tradition  and  legend,  faint  reminders  of  the  use 
of  pigeons  in  wars,  from  grayest  antiquity.  But  authentic  his- 
tory will  subserve  every  purpose.  A  coronation  of  an  Egyptian 
king  was  heralded  by  four  pigeons;  one  to  the  north,  another 
south,  a  third  east,  and  the  last  west;  each  carrying  somehow  the 
news,  that  "Horus,  the  son  of  Isis  and  Osiris,  has  put  on  the 
splendid  crown  of  the  Upper  and  Lower  Country;  that  the  king, 
Rameses  III.  has  put  on  the  two  crowns, " 

It  is  written  that  while  Brutus  was  besieged  in  Mutina  by 
Antony,  he  (Brutus)  sent  dispatches  to  the  camp  of  the  Consuls 
by  fastening  the  messages  to  pigeons'  feet ;  that  Antony  thought 
that  that  was  carrying  things  with  a  high  hand,  and  set  his  strong 
archers  to  wing  the  birds,  but  without  avail.  The  rich  patrician 
sometimes  took  pigeons  to  the  amphitheatre,  in  order  that  he 


14  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

might  order  room  at  the  table  for  his  invited  guests,  and  also 
name  some  of  the  dishes  he  wished  prepared.  Anacreon  men- 
tions the  use  of  pigeons  to  enable  absent  lovers  to  communicate. 
Tasso  relates  an  instance  of  their  use,  in  his  "Jerusalem  Deliv- 
ered," canto  8,  page  521  : 

49 — A  turtle  dove,  in  the  blue  firmament  is  seen  of  all 
To  pass,  the  Christian  multitude  above : 
With  outspread  wings  the  liquid  air  she  clove, 
And  went  away  as  lightly  as  the  wind ; 
This  wand'ring,  mute  communicant  of  love, 
So  soon  as  she  had  left  the  camp  behind, 
Down  from  the  lofty  clouds  t'  accost  the  town  inclined. 

50 — When  lo !  they  knew  not  whence,  a  falcon   arm'd 
With  hooked  beak  and  talons,  sail'd  in  sight; 
Which,  'twixt  the  city  and  the  camp,  alarmed 
Th'  opposed  mild  bird  in  her  descending  flight: 
She  waited  not  his  truss ;  but  full  of  fright, 
On  instant  wing  to  the  pavillions  fled, 
And  at  the  moment  when  the  cruel  kite, 
Down  swooping  swift,  just  touched  his  tender  head, 
In  Godfrey's  bosom  fell,  betwixt  alive  and  dead. 

51— Godfrey  the  bird  protected,  and  espied, 

As  he  her  plumage  smooth'd,  a  curious  thing ; 
For  from  her  neck,  by  flax  of  Egypt  tied, 
A  letter  hung,  concealed  beneath  her  wing. 
Marveling  to  see  it,  he  untwines  the  string, 
And  breaks  the  seal ;  then  well  he  comprehends 
I'lie  purpose  of  the  scroll;  "To  Judah's  king," 
Thus  spake  th'  inscription,  "  to  his  first  of  friends. 
Health,  honor,  joy  and  peace  th'  Egyptian  Caliph  sends." 

52—"  Fear  not,  my  noble  lord !  resist,  endure 
Till  the  fourth  day,  or  till  the  fifth  at  most ; 
For  by  that  period  thou  shalt  see,  besure. 
My  slaught'ring  sword  devour  the  hostile  host." 
Such  was  the  secret  in  the  note  enclosed, 
In  Syriac  ciphers  writ,  and  sealed  with  care. 
Given  in  commission  to  this  flying  post; 
For  in  the  East  these  couriers  of  the  air, 
Trained  to  the  trusty  charge,  were  then  by  no  means  rare. 

53 — The  bird  he  freed,  she  cooing  her  concern 

That  her  lord's  secrets  had  been  thus  betrayed, 
Durst  not,  though  innocent  of  ill,  return 
A  rebel  back,  but  fled  from  thence  afraid. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE    UNITED   STATES.  15 

It  is  said  that  by  this  means,  in  1219,  the  Saracens  informed 
Cairo  of  the  defeat  of  the  French  at  Mansurah.  The  English  in 
Aleppo  employed  pigeons  with  great  success  to  carry  commercial 
news  to  and  from  Scanderoon.  Relays  have  been  established 
thirty  to  forty  miles  apart,  to  and  from  which  the  birds  have 
been  taught  to  fly  with  messages.  Pigeons  were  used  in  Napo- 
leonic wars,  and,  in  short,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  in  most 
countries  since  the  middle  ages,  but  most  notably,  perhaps,  dur- 
ing the  siege  of  Paris  by  the  Germans  in  1870,  when  they  were 
carried  away  in  balloons  and  returned  with  minute  photographic 
copies  of  great  newspapers,  carried  under  a  wing  or  inserted  in 
a  quill  and  tied  to  a  tail-feather.  There  were  25,000  of  these 
birds  in  French  cities  and  defenses  when  the  Franco-Gennan  war 
began,  and  more  being  trained.  The  ingenious  French,  micro- 
photographed  long  writings  and  print,  so  that  when  ready  to  be 
sent  the  missive  weighed  but  a  few  grains.  A  strong  microscope 
revealed  it  all  and  a  magic  lantern  threw  it  on  a  white  wall, 
where,  if  a  newspaper,  the  populace  might  read.  However,  only 
a  small  number  of  the  pigeons  released,  reached  Paris.  The 
Germans  had  hawks  trained  to  go  against  them,  and  are  said  to 
have  destroyed  many. 

Before  the  telegraph,  pigeons  were  used  by  the  officers  of  the 
press  in  America  to  secure  European  news  quickly.  The  birds 
were  flown  from  Halifax,  N.  S.,  to  Boston  and  Sandy  Hook. 
Carrier  pigeons  are  said  to  fly  an  hundred  miles  per  hour,  but 
one-third  of  that  is  about  an  average. 

Balloons. 

It  is  prefaced  in  Marion's  Balloon  As€e7its,  that  "the  discov- 
ery of  the  invention  of  the  balloon  .  .  .  was  one  of  those 
eflforts  of  genius  and  enterprise  which  have  no  infancy."  This 
we  are  disposed  to  credit,  for,  although  fully  a  centenarian,  the 
balloon  has  been  improved  as  little  as  thistle-down,  which  was 
of  questionable  utility  always.  Since  their  invention  by  Joseph 
and  Etienne  Montgolfier,  men  have  experimented  to  death  in 
every  country,  with  the  "  air  castles"  which  they  projected. 

Mankind  has,  from  ages  which  "lose  themselves  in  the  night 
of  time,"  sought  to  "mount  on  the  wings  of  the  wind."  So 
Archytas,  of  Tarentum  (100  B.  C),  built  a  "flying  stag,"  and 


16  THE    MILITARY   TELEGRAPH    DURING   THE 

also  ''made  a  pigeon  of  wood,  which  flew,  but  which  could  not 
raise  itself  again  after  having  fallen."  Others  thought  they  saw 
the  defects  of  predecessors,  and  trying  their  plans,  had  their 
hopes,  if  not  their  brains,  dashed  to  the  ground.  One  failed 
because  his  machine  had  no  tail ;  another  (fable)  because  the 
sun  melted  the  wax  with  which  his  wings  were  soldered,  and  he 
went  "down  into  the  depths  "  of  the  Icarian  Sea ;  yet  another, 
because  his  wings  were  made  in  part  of  the  feathers  of  barn- 
yard fowls,  instead  of  being  all  eagles'  ;  a  fourth,  bent  one  wing, 
and  so  on  to  endless  failure. 

Balloons  have  been  chiefly  serviceable  in  times  of  war,  but, 
although  reason  would  seem  to  favor  their  use  with  armies, 
experience  appears  to  discourage  their  employment.  As  early 
as  1794,  two  companies  of  aeronauts  were  organized  by  the 
French,  who  used  balloons,  at  Fleurs,  Maubenge,  Charleroi, 
Mannheim  and  Ehrenbreitstein,  Solferino  and  elsewhere.  They, 
however,  were  not  used  as  couriers,  but  to  observe  an  enemy 
below,  and  sometimes  flag  signals  were  used  to  telegraph  from 
them.  This  was  done  in  the  United  States  army  on  the  Potomac 
and  during  the  Peninsular  campaign,  in  the  late  war.  On  all 
such  reconnoissances,  the  balloon  was  held  by  ropes.  On 
several  occasions,  electrical  telegraphic  connection  was  had  with 
the  aeronaut  in  the  sky.  This  was  first  accomplished  June  IT, 
1861,  when  the  War  Department,  in  Washington,  was  placed  in 
instant  communication  with  Professor  Lowe,  wdio,  from  his 
''high  estate, "•  caused  the  operator  at  his  side  to  telegraph  as 
follows  : 

Balloon  "Enterprise,"  Washington,  June  17,  1861. 
To  THE  President  of  the  United  States  : 

Sir  —  This  point  of  observation  commands  an  area  of  fifty  miles 
in  diameter.  The  city,  with  its  girdle  of  encampments,  presents  a 
superb  scene.  I  take  great  pleasure  in  sending  you  the  first  dis- 
patch ever  telegraphed  from  an  aerial  station,  and  in  acknowledging 
my  indebtedness  to  your  encouragement,  for  the  opportunity  of 
demonstrating  the  availability  of  the  science  of  aeronautics  in  the 
military  service  of  the  country.         Yours,  respectfully, 

T.  S.  C.  Lowe. 

Operator  C.  I.  Brown  ascended  from  Pohick  Church,  Vir- 
ginia, with  Professor  Wise,  and  also  communicated  to  the  War 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  17 

Department.  John  La  Mountain,  another  professional  aeronaut, 
made  ascents,  and  at  one  time,  in  front  of  Richmond,  Virginia, 
while  he  was  accompanied  by  General  Fitz  John  Porter,  who 
wished  to  note  the  enemy's  position,  the  air  ship  broke  loose, 
passing  over  their  camp,  but  on  lowering  the  balloon,  it  entered 
an  opposite  current,  by  which  Porter  and  the  aeronaut  returned 
safely  to  the  Union  lines.  At  the  close  of  the  Peninsular  cam- 
paign, the  use  of  balloons  was  abandoned.  Professors  Wise 
and  La  Mountain  traveled  from  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  to  Hender- 
son County,  New  York,  1,150  miles,  in  a  balloon,  in  less  than 
twenty  hours. 

But  our  subject  leads  us  particularly  to  their  use  during  the 
siege  of  Paris  ;  at  which  time  (1870-1)  many  of  them  were  certainly 
useful  as  couriers  of  military  orders,  news,  etc.  From  September 
23,  1870,  to  January  28,  1871,  sixty-two  balloons  left  Paris;  fifty- 
four  of  which,  sent  out  by  the  Post-office  Department,  took 
2,500,000  letters,  weighing  ten  tons.  It  was  usual  to  send 
carrier  pigeons  with  these  air  ships,  to  the  end  that  news  from 
the  outside  world  might  be  obtained  in  Paris  by  their  return. 
Though  the  employment  of  balloons  for  courier  purposes  is 
desirable  only  when  visual  and  electric  telegraphing  are  impos- 
sible, there  may  arise  other  instances  in  which  this  speedy  method 
of  communication,  erratic  as  the  winds,  is  all  that  is  left  to  a 
besieged  army.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  however,  that  somebody  will 
improve  on  the  Montgolfier  idea  enough  to  make  this  means 
more  surely  serviceable  and  less  hazardous. 

Trumpets. 

And  I  said  unto  the  nobles,  and  to  the  rulers,  and  to  the  rest  of  the  people, 
The  work  is  great  and  large,  and  we  are  separated  upon  the  wall,  one  far  from 
another.  In  what  place,  therefore,  ye  hear  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  resort  ye 
thither  unto  us. — Nehemiah,  iv,  19,  20. 

Some  have  credited  the  Tyrrhenians  with  the  invention  of 
this  instrument,  while  others  have  thought  the  Egyptians  show 
a  better  claim.  Since  it  is  not  patentable,  the  reader  may  select 
his  inventor  between  them,  and  if  he  stoutly  adheres  to  his 
choice,  he  will  doubtless  be  right.  It  is  usually  best  to  read 
those  "  old  timers  "  cum  grano  salis.  It  is  written  that  the  inven- 
3 


18       .  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

tion  of  the  trumpet  was  first  suggested  by  the  use  of  sea  shells, 
which  were  sounded  as  the  first  signal  of  battle. 

Biblical  history  is  replete  with  notices  of  the  use  of  the 
trumpet.  It  proclaimed  war,  announced  the  new  year,  and 
made  glad  hearts  at  the  beginning  of  the  great  '^  Jubilee." 
In  Macaulay's  "Horatius,"  we  find  : 

East  and  west,  and  south  and  north, 

The  messengers  ride  fast. 
And  tower  and  town  and  cottage 

Have  heard  the  trumpefs  blast. 
Shame  on  the  false  Etruscan 

Who  lingers  in  his  home, 
When  Porsena  of  Clusium 

Is  on  the  march  for  Rome ! 

Even  to  this  day,  the  trumpet  is  used  in  armies,  especially 
by  cavalry. 

Fires. 

O  ye  children  of  Benjamin,  gather  yourselves  to  flee  out  of  the  midst 
of  Jerusalem  and  blow  the  trumpet  in  Tekoa,  and  set  up  a  sign  of  fire  in  Beth- 
haccerem:  for  evil  appeareth  out  of  the  north,  and  great  destruction. — 
Jeremiah,  vi,  1. 

It  can  not  be  doubted  that  signal  fires  have  been  used  from 
the  earliest  era.  The  torch  is  said  to  have  pj-eceded  the  use 
alluded  to  of  sea  shells.  For  ages  these  signals  had  but  one 
meaning,  and  that  was  agreed  upon  beforehand  ;  and  thus  vic- 
tory, warning  and  defeat  were  signalized-  But  one  word  usually 
covered  all  that  was  telegraphed.  If  it  was  daylight,  a  column 
of  smoke  as  dense  as  possible  indicated  what  by  night  would  be 
disclosed  by  a  fire,  varying  in  size  according  to  distance. 
Of  course  these  fires  were,  when  practicable,  placed  on  com- 
manding heights. 

Homer,  writing  of  the  siege  of  Troy,  tells  how  (1000  B.  C.) 
Achilles'  head  was  crowned  with  a  golden  cloud,  from  which 
Minerva  kindled  a  shining  flame.  "And  as  when  smoke,  as- 
cending from  a  city,  reaches  the  aether  from  an  island  afar  off, 
which  foes  invest,  who  (pouring  out)  from  their  city  contend  all 
day  in  hateful  fight ;  but  with  the  setting  sun,  torches  blaze  one 
after  another,  and  the  splendor  arises,  rushing  upward,  for  (their) 
neighbors  to  behold,  if  perchance  they  may  come  with  ships,  as 


CIVIL   WAR   IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  19 

repellers  of  the  war ;  thus  did  the  flame  from  the  head  of  Achilles 
reach  the  sky. " 

^schylus  (about  B.  C.  500),  in  his  elegant  explanation  of  the 
means  by  which  Clytemnestra  learned  of  the  capture  of  Troy, 
1184  B.  C,  yet  more  satisfactorily  elucidates,  in  "Agamemnon," 
this  ancient  usage,  as  follows  : 


Clytemnestn 


Hephaestus,  sending  forth  the  Idaian  fire, 
Hither  through  swift  relays  of  courier  flame, 
Beacon  transmitted  beacon.    Ida  first 
To  the  Hermsean  rock  on  Lemnos'  Isle ; 
Thence  Athos'  summits,  dedicate  to  Zeus, 
The  third  in  order,  caught  the  mighty  glow; 
Towering  aloft,  the  pine-blaze,  like  the  sun, 
Gold-beaming,  bridging  in  its  might  the  sea. 
Transmits  the  splendor  of  the  advancing  fire 
To  bold  Macistus'  watch-tow'rs;  he,  in  turn, 
Without  delay,  nor  overpower'd  by  sleep, 
The  courier's  duty  faithfully  discharged ; 
The  torch,  far  gleaming  to  Euripus'  stream, 
Gives  signal  to  Messapus'  sentinels. 
Firing  of  withered  heath  a  giant  pile, 
They  kindle  and  send  on  the  courier  light; 
The  stalwart  flame,  unwearied  and  undimm'd 
Like  a  bright  moon  o'erleaps  ^sopus'  plain, 
And  wakens,  on  Cithaeron's  lofty  height. 
Another  speeder  of  the  fiery  post. 
The  warder,  hailing  the  far-journeying  fire. 
Kindles  a  beacon  whose  surpassing  glow 
Darts  its  bright  radiance  o'er  Gorgopis'  lake, 
And  summons  Aigiplanctus'  mountain  height 
Forward  to  hurl  unrent  the  fiery  chain. 
With  vigor  unimpair'd  they  onward  send. 
Kindled  anew,  a  mighty  beard  of  flame; 
Crossing  from  far  the  crag  whose  pinnacles 
Peer  o'er  the  gulf  Saronic  spread  beneath, 
The  blaze,  alighting  on  Arachnse's  height, 
The  city's  nearest  beacon,  reach'd  its  goal ; 
Thence  to  the  roof  of  Atreus'  son  this  light 
Darted— true  scion  of  Idaian  fire. 
Thus  in  succession,  flame  awaking  flame, 
Fulfill'd  the  order  of  the  fiery  course: 
The  first  and  last  are  victors  in  the  race. 
Such  is  the  proof,  the  warrant  that  I  give 
Of  tidings  sent  me  by  my  lord  from  Troy. 


20  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

While  Xerxes  was  about  invading  Greece,  the  Greeks  sta- 
tioned at  Artemisium  were  informed  by  ''  fire  signals,"  what  had 
happened  to  three  picket  triremes,  and  after  he  retired  to  Sardis, 
leaving  Mardonius  in  command  of  a  large  Persian  and  mixed 
army,  this  general,  we  are  told  by  Herodotus,  purposed  a  second 
entry  into  Athens  (B.  C.  480),  desiring  "to  inform  the  king  at 
Sardis,  by  fire  signals  along  the  islands,  that  he  was  master  of 
the  place;  "  and  it  is  supposed  that  the  route  of  these  beacons  was 
along  the  European  coast  to  Athos,  Lemnos  and  Asia  in  the  re- 
verse order  of  the  route  given  by  ^Eschylus.  Sophocles  (B.  C. 
450),  Thucydides  (B.  C.  450),  ^Eneas  (B.  C.  350),  Polybius 
(B.  C.  175),  Tacitus  (B.  C.  100),  and  some  others  wrote  about 
such  uses  of  beacon  lights,  but  Julius  Africanus  explains  a  sys- 
tem of  fire  signaling  in  which  difi*erent  substances  were  employed 
to  enable  parties  at  a  distance  to  spell  out  news  or  orders. 
jEneas  invented  a  peculiar  system,  whereby  short  sentences 
written  on  boards  were  read,  and  Polybius  will  doubtless  also 
receive  mention  in  all  books  on  war  telegraphing  because  he  in- 
vented a  plan  for  telegraphing  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
Vegetius — de  Re  Militari — shows  that  during  the  Emperor  Valen- 
tinian's  reign,  communication  was  carried  on  between  camp  and 
armies  :  "  S  turrihus  et  oppidis^  trabibus  totidem  erectis  totidem 
depressis^^'^  which  differed  from  that  of  Polybius,  who  had  five  let- 
ters on  each  of  his  five  posts,  which  were  indicated  from  top  to 
bottom  by  torches,  i.  e.^  one  torch  meant  the  first,  two  the  sec- 
ond letter,  etc. 

In  Macaulay's  "Armada"  we  note  how  England's  peril  was 
announced : 

That  time  of  slumber  was  as  bright  and  busy  as  the  day; 
For  swift  to  East  and  swift  to  West  the  ghastly  war-flame  spread. 
High  on  St.  Michael's  Mount  it  shone;   it  shone  on  Beachy  Head; 
Far  on  the  deep  the  Spaniard  saw,  along  each  southern  shire, 
Cape  beyond  cape,  in  endless  range,  those  twinkling  points  of  fire. 

******** 
The  sentinel  on  Whitehall  gate  looked  forth  into  the  night. 
And  saw  o'erhanging  Richmond  Hill  the  streak  of  blood-red  light. 
Then  bugle's  note  and  cannon's  roar  the  deathlike  silence  broke, 
And  with  one  start  and  with  one  cry  the  royal  city  woke. 
At  once  on  all  her  stately  gates  arose  the  answering  fires, 
At  once  the  wild  alarum  clashed  from  all  her  reeling  spires. 


CIVIL   WAK   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  21 

******** 
All  night,  from  tower  to  tower  they  sprang;  they  sprang  from  hill  to 

hill: 
******** 

Till  twelve  fair  counties  saw  the  blaze  on  Malvern's  lonely  height. 

It  was  while  watching  the  Indian  fire  signals  in  Texas  about 
1855,  that  Albert  J.  Myer,  once  a  telegraph  operator,  was  led  to 
devise  his  first  system  of  flag  signals,  and  in  so  doing  doubtless 
his  practical  lessons  in  telegTaphy  were  of  great  assistance. 
Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  system  which  has  been  greatly 
praised  for  its  ingenuity,  and  which  was  developed  in  New  York 
harbor  and  approved  before  the  Rebellion  ;  the  inventor  being 
thereupon  sent  into  the  Indian  country  to  utilize  it.  Treuen- 
feld,  a  recent  European  writer  on  telegraphy  for  tactical  pur- 
poses, compares  Myer's  system  to  that  of  Eneas'  for  telegraph- 
ing by  measurement  of  intervals,  and  says  that  thus  Myer  gave 
"  the  first  examples  of  chronometrical  signals,  which,  forgotten 
for  thousands  of  years,  first  came  into  use  in  modern  times  with 
the  Signal  Corps  of  the  North  American  Army."  All  nations 
seem  to  have  used  fire  signals.  In  this  country  to  this  day 
they  are  in  use  by  the  Indians;  but  the  last  mention  of  the  em- 
ployment of  fire  signals  which  has  come  to  my  notice  was  by 
General  Custer  since  1870. 

Semaphores. 

In  1Y64,  Doctor  Hook  formed  a  plan  of  telegraphing  by  masts 
and  screens,  as  did  also  M.  Amoutons,  a  little  later.  The  Edg- 
worth  telegraph  (1767)  was  a  further  advance,  and  twenty-six 
years  later  the  Chappe  brothers  introduced  a  really  good  thing, 
which  European  governments  took  hold  of,  expending  upon  it 
or  its  modifications  several  millions  of  dollars.  Up  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  telescope  was  unknown, 
except  to  a  few  who  knew  not  how  to  improve  or  utilize  it,  and 
as  the  most  approved  of  prior  media  of  telegraphing  depended 
upon  the  power  of  the  eye,  signaling  was  not  a  great  success. 
Not  many  men  can  see  ten  miles  so  as  to  distinguish  objects  as 
small  as  trees  and  hence  the  impracticability  of  visual 
telegraphing  by  the  naked  eye.  Cicero  mentions  one  who 
could  see  objects  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  and  M. 
Varro  wrote  that  the  name  of  this  man  was  Strabo. 


22  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

It  is  of  no  use  for  men  now-a-days  to  compete  with  the  an- 
cients in  any  thing  then  known,  for  some  ancient  or  classical 
writer,  who  can  not  now  be  called  on  for  his  proofs,  has  surely 
anticipated  all  known  feats,  and  this  story  of  Strabo  demonstrates 
the  foresight  of  great  writers.  A  field  glass  that  will  carry 
twenty  miles  in  most  atmospheres  is  an  excellent  one.  Two  of 
the  three  Chappe  brothers  were  at  school  in  one  place,  and  the 
other  a  half  league  distant.  This  other,  Claude,  invented  a 
system  of  signaling,  whereby,  using  a  horizontal  piece  of  wood, 
to  which  was  at  each  end  attached  a  movable  wing  or  arm,  he 
could  produce  one  hundred  and  ninety-two  distinct  signals,  and 
by  this  contrivance  he  held  intercourse  with  his  brothers.  Much 
improved  upon  by  these  young  men  and  an  ex-diplomat  and 
watchmaker,  w^ho  saw  money  in  the  business,  the  system  was 
adopted  by  the  French  government,  and  was  inaugurated  by  the 
welcome  announcement  that  "Conde  is  taken  from  the  Aus- 
trians,"  whereupon,  France  went  into  ecstacy  over  the  double 
victory ;  one  being  the  warlike,  and  the  other  peaceful,  feat  of 
arms.  It  is  said  that  a  dispatch  could  be  sent  from  Paris  to 
Lille,  distant  about  130  miles,  in  two  minutes  by  this  system, 
or  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances  possible,  a  single 
signal  ought  to  reach  Toulon  from  Paris,  475  miles  in  twelve 
minutes.  France  extended  the  system  over  the  kingdom,  and 
then  nearly  all  European  governments,  seeing  its  usefulness^ 
adopted  Chappe's  plan  or  some  infringement  upon  it.  Major- 
General  Meydam,  director  of  Prussian  telegraphs,  in  18Y5,  in 
his  historical  sketch  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  telegraphy  in 
Germany,  wrote  that  a  line  of  optical  telegraphy  was  established 
so  early  as  1832,  between  Berlin,  Magdeburg,  Paderborn,  Co- 
logne, Coblentz  and  Treves,  which  was  worked  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  Ministry  of  War.  It  was  purely  political  and 
military  in  its  purpose.  But  in  Russia,  millions  of  dollars  were 
expended  in  erecting  these  stations  every  five  or  six  miles,  for 
the  most  part  over  the  great  highways.  Thus  Warsaw,  St. 
Petersburg  and  Moscow,  and  other  points,  were  connected. 
Twenty  seconds  was  quick  time  for  a  single  signal  to  pass  from 
one  post  to  another.  Many  improvements  were  made  in  difierent 
countries,  and  as  high  as  58,190  distinct  signals  were  ultimately 
found  possible. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE    UNITED   STATES.  23 

Some  of  these  semaphoric  stations  are  still  standing;  monu- 
ments of  human  ingenuity  not  to  be  lightly  treated,  eren  in 
these  days,  when  they  seem  cumbrous  and  foreboding  bank- 
ruptcy. They  attest  the  craving  of  humanity  for  a  closer 
union ;  they  demonstrate  the  value  and  urgency  of  speedy 
communication  in  times  of  emergency ;  they  illustrate  how 
dependent  man  is  upon  his  fellow.  Thirteen  hundred  and  twenty 
persons  were  required  to  operate  one  of  these  lines  connecting 
St.  Petersburg  with  the  Prussian  frontier.  Any  one  disposed  to 
study  this  subject  should  read  Tal.  P.  Shaffner's  ''Telegraph 
Manual,"  wherein  semaphoric  telegraphs  are  carefully  explained. 

The  reader  must  not  suppose  from  the  foregoing  that  the 
diligence,  the  messenger,  horse,  vessel,  and  like  commonplace 
means  of  carrying  news,  were  usually  displaced  by  visual  or 
vocal  telegraphs,  on  important  occasions,  for  such  was  not  the 
case.  Until  Chappe's  time,  even  political  news  was  not,  as  a 
rule,  conveyed  by  extraordinary  means,  and  the  mention  which 
history  makes  of  the  pigeon,  the  trumpet,  the  shield,  the  voice, 
the  torch,  the  ancient  semaphore,  etc.,  are  believed  to  be  at 
best,  but  rare  instances,  sufficient  to  carry  conviction  of  their  use 
for  signaling,  but  not  to  produce  an  impression  that  they  were 
much  depended  on.  They  show  the  wants  of  man,  and  attempts 
to  supply  them,  rather  than  satisfactory  results.  Thus,  in  the 
middle  ages,  we  find  that  in  1399,  when  Richard  II.  was  in 
Ireland,  temporarily,  Henry,  duke  of  Lancaster,  raised  a  rebel- 
lion in  England,  and  virtually  conquered  the  kingdom  before 
Richard  heard  of  it.  At  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the 
news  of  the  death  of  Henry  III.,  the  last  of  the  Valois,  only 
reached  Marseilles  fifteen  days  after  his  demise  in  Paris.  In  our 
own  country,  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  fought 
June  17,  1775,  did  not  reach  Philadelphia  until  the  twenty-second. 
The  news  of  the  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis's  army  at  York- 
town,  Va.,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1781,  was  brought  by  Lieut. 
Tilghman,  Gen.  Washington's  aid,  as  fast  as  horse  could  carry 
him,  reaching  Philadelphia,  where  Congress  was  in  session,  soon 
after  midnight  of  the  twenty-fourth.  Our  Revolutionary  fathers 
used  to  signal  information  very  indifferently,  by  use  of  a  barrel 
at  the  head  of  a  liberty  pole,  with  a  flag  underneath  the  barrel, 
and  a  basket  suspended  from  a  projecting  arm,  still  lower  down. 


24  THE   MILITARY    TELEGRAPH   DURING    THE 

The  presence  or  absence  on  the  pole  of  one  or  more  of  these 
articles,  according  to  preconcerted  understanding,  indicated  that 
an  expected  event  had  or  had  not  occurred.  During  the  late 
war,  a  Virginia  negress  in  like  manner  telegraphed  the  presence 
or  absence  of  the  rebels,  by  placing  her  white  clothes  on  a  dry- 
ing line,  or  removing  them  therefrom. 

The  intelligence  of  the  opening  of  the  Erie  canal,  October 
20,  1825,  was  communicated,  and  acknowledged  in  return,  by 
cannon,  •  placed  eight  miles  apart  from  Bufialo  to  Albany,  a 
distance  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  miles,  via  the  canal 
and  Hudson.  It  took  one  hour  thus  to  carry  the  joyful  news  to 
the  State  capitaL  But  all  that  was  pre-arranged,  like  the  beacons 
which  announced  the  fall  of  Troy. ' 

The  Electric  Telegraph. 

Scientific  research,  prior  to  the  practical  introduction  of 
the  electro-magnetic  telegraph  by  Morse  and  others,  had  solved 
most,  if  not  all,  of  the  elementary  facts  which  are  to-day  the 
bases  of  this  applied  science.  These  fundamental  truths  came 
as  partial  ones  from  widely  scattered  sources,  and  in  their 
gradual  unfolding  covered  a  period  of  many  years.  Over  a 
century  ago,  a  commendable  attempt  was  made  by  Georges 
Louis  Le  Sage,  of  Geneva  (1774),  who  used  twenty-four  insulated 
wires,  each  representing  a  distinct  letter,  which  was  marked  on 
a  pith  ball  electroscope  at  the  ends  of  the  wires.  These  balls  were 
excited  visibly  by  electricity,  generated  by  a  machine  prepared 
for  that  purpose. 

Three  years  later,  a  Parisian  used  one  wire  in  like  manner, 
the  alphabet  being  represented  by  varying  motions  of  the  pith 
balls.  Another  employed  thirty-six  wires  for  numerals,  and 
letters  which  were  manifested  by  electric  sparks ;  yet  another, 
using  one  wire,  sent  sparks  at  different  intervals  of  time,  and  in 
1798,  D.  F.  Silva,  a  Spaniard,  astonished  the  philosophers  and 
savants  by  working  twenty-six  miles  over  one  wire,  using  sparks 
of  a  Leyden  jar  for  signals.  Francis  Ronalds,  of  England,  m 
1816,  and  Harrison  Gray  Dyer,  an  American,  in  1828,  tele- 
graphed short  distances  ;  the  former  eight  miles.  None  of  these 
used  batteries.  In  1810,  Thomas  Yon  Sommering,  of  Munich, 
telegraphed  two  miles,  using  a  Voltaic  pile  to  charge  his  thirty- 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE    UNITED   STATES.  25 

^ye  wires.  Galvani  (1786-90),  Dr.  John  Redman,  of  Philadel- 
phia (1816),  Hans  Christian  Oersted,  of  Copenhagen  (1819), 
Ampere,  of  Paris  (1820),  Schweigger,  of  Halle  (1820),  Baron 
Paul  Schilling,  of  Cronstadt  (1823),  William  Sturgeon,  of 
London  (1824),  Professor  Henry,  of  America  (1828-31),  Profes- 
sors Gauss  and  Weber,  at  Gottingen  (1833)  and  some  others, 
added  their  discoveries  to  the  developing  science.  Then  Morse 
(1837)  and  Cook  and  Wheatstone  (1837)  and  Baine  (1840),  House 
(1846),  Hughes  (1855),  Stearns,  Edison  and  others,  developed 
startling  ideas  never  before  received.  The  Morse  telegraph,  in 
its  main  features  conceived  in  1832,  was  patented  in  1837,  and  is 
that  system  which  has  since  been  almost  universally  adopted. 
But  before  Morse  could  demonstrate  his  invention.  Wheat- 
stone  (1838)  built  a  line  from  London  to  Birmingham,  which 
was  worked  by  a  needle  revolving  above  a  dial,  on  the  margin 
of  which  were  the  letters  of  the  alphabet.  The  revolution  of 
the  needle  was  usually  controlled  by  the  influence  of  the  galvanic 
battery  upon  the  helices,  or  magnets  with  which  it  was  con- 
nected. 

Morse's  invention  was  not  at  once  recognized  as  revolutionary 
of  other  means  of  correspondence,  in  its  practical  tendency. 
That  it  not  only  tended  to,  but  in  a  marvelously  short  time  did, 
to  a  large  extent,  supplant  other  means,  is  now  so  well  known 
that  one  almost  wishes  to  apologize  for  stating  it.  Mr.  Morse, 
like  most  inventors,  was  too  poor  to  test  his  invention  on  a  con- 
vincing scale,  and  the  honest  Congresses  he  met  at  the  capitol 
were  too  chary  of  the  people's  money  to  risk  $30, 000  experi- 
menting for  him.  But  like  some  people  who,  on  their  death-bed 
atone  for  much  misfeasance,  so  the  Congress  of  1843,  in  its  ex- 
piring hour,  voted  the  appropriation,  and  a  double  (circuit)  wire 
between  Washington  and  Baltimore  was  the  result.  In  time  it 
was  found  that  one  wire  run  to  the  ground  at  each  end  (the 
ground  answering  to  complete  the  circuit)  was  all  that  was 
needed,  and  from  this  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  de- 
velop the  system  and  improve  on  primitive  ideas.  So  the  elec- 
tric telegraph  has,  in  the  hands  of  studious  and  energetic  men, 
m  this  and  other  countries,  .advanced  practically  and  scientifically. 
Wherever  there  is  a  railroad  there  also  is  the  telegraph,  and  usu- 
ally long  before  the  road  is  contemplated  the  iron  thread  has  be- 

>^  OF  THE  ^ 


26  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

come  an  accomplished  fact.  It  would  seem,  commercial,  indust- 
rial, educational  and  other  peaceful  callings  and  purposes  were 
the  chief  ends  of  this  wonderful  invention,  and  it  is  not  improb- 
able that  it  was  largely  the  anticipated  influence  in  these  pleasing 
directions  that  so  greatly  contributed  to  make  Professor  Morse, 
a  thoroughly  good  man,  prefer  the  slow  processes  by  which  jus- 
tice and  truth  sometimes  prevail  against  ignorance,  vice  and 
even  active  wickedness,  to  the  cruelties  of  war,  although  waged 
with  laudable  design.  Unlike  most  inventions  susceptible  of 
military  uses,  the  electric  telegraph  was  allowed  to  develop  in 
peaceful  employments  some  time  before  its  uses  in  war  were 
demonstrated. 

When  the  telescope  was  discovered  by  Jansen,  the  invention 
which  some  concede  to  him,  was  kept  secret  that  his  Dutch 
Prince  Maurice  might  utilize  it  in  war.  The  first  ideas  of  the 
importance  of  balloons  were  as  to  their  military  uses.  The 
American  cities  of  Boston  and  New  York  were  telegraphically 
connected  about  the  time  the  Mexican  war  began.  But  one  op- 
erator at  either  end  was  employed,  and  the  first  war  news  sent 
over  this  line  was  an  account  of  the  battles  of  Palo  Alto  and 
Kesaca  de  la  Palma.  Then  came,  not  long  after,  Monterey, 
Buena  Vista  and  Vera  Cruz  and  Scott's  grand  victories.  The 
European  news  of  the  wars  of  1848,  and  the  Presidential  cam- 
paign of  that  year,  taught  the  people  to  prize  this  new  blessing 
which  has  since  so  grown  with  this  country  as  to  constitute  one 
of  its  nerve  forces. 

It  T^|LJbe  borne  in  mind  that  we  have  not  yet  shown  any  use 
of  the  tSegraph  in  war.  It  was  not  until  the  Crimean  war 
(1854-5)  that  the  first  electric  telegraph  was  erected  for  purely 
military  uses.  This  was  not,  however,  used  for  tactical  pur- 
poses, but  merely  for  intercommunication  between  the  principal 
head-quarters  of  the  allied  besiegers  ;  probably  more  a  matter  of 
conveniens  than  necessity.  A  cable  telegraph  was  also  laid  be- 
tween Vam^  and  Crimea  which  worked  admirably.  The  En- 
glish also  used  the  wire  in  India  in  1857-8,  whereby  Lord  Clyde's 
advance  posts  were  enabled  to  communicate  with  Government 
head-quarters  in  Calcutta.  The  wire  was  carried  on  rollers  and 
in  carts,  and  as  it  unwound  was  allowed  to  lie  on  the  ground  or 
bushes  or  hung  on  trees  and  bamboo,  although  much  of  it  was 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  27 

uninsulated.  In  dry  weather  this  line  is  said  to  have  worked 
one  hundred  miles,  but  it  was  doubtless  useless  when  wet  or  even 
moist.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  how  the  English  came  to  lay 
such  a  line,  as  they  aim  to  keep  abreast  of  the  most  approved 
methods.  In  our  country  of  much  rain,  nobody  would  ever 
contemplate  such  a  thing.  Treuenfeld,  to  whom  I  am  indebted 
for  this  item  beside  many  others,  in  his  excellent  work  entitled, 
"Kriegs  Telegraphic,"  recently  published  in  London,  speaking 
of  this  Indian  line,  says  that  "if  not  a  thorough  success  during 
the  two  years  war,  it  certainly  did  most  excellent  service." 
The  Crimean  and  Indian  wars  brought  the  use  of  the  telegraph 
to  the  attention  of  the  German  military  officials,  and  they,  it  ap- 
pears, were,  about  1855,  the  irst  in  times  of  peace  to  introduce 
it  as  a  permanent  part  of  their  army  organization,  and  their  first 
employment  was  in  186^1:,  in  the  war  with  Denmark. 

The  English,  in  1857,  began  teaching  the  under  engineer 
officers  of  the  army,  their  telegraph  system  for  field  service,  and 
the  French  used  the  telegraph  the  same  year  in  their  Algerian 
war. 

Two  years  later,  the  Spanish  government  telegraph  company 
sent  a  corps  of  telegraphers  with  the  Spanish  army  into  Mo- 
rocco, and  their  equipment  was  so  light  and  serviceable  that 
Treuenfeld,  who  saw  much  service  in  South  American  war 
telegraphy,  writes  very  complimentarily  concerning  it,  and 
shows  also  its  usefulness.  The  French  used  it  in  their  Italian 
campaigns  in  1859,  and  seem  to  have  set  the  Italians  to  thinking. 
For,  in  1860-1,  they  utilized  it  in  their  operations  against 
Ancona,  both  in  keeping  the  advancing  columns  in  constant 
communication,  and  in  preserving  the  besieging  forces,  when 
fairly  settled  about  the  place,  from  serious  assault. 

Major  General  Sir  Lintorn  Simmons,  C.  E.,  Inspector  Gen- 
eral of  Fortifications,  testified  before  a  committee  of  the  English 
Commons,  in  strong  terms  favoring  the  telegraph  in  the  army, 
saying,  among  other  things,  that,  "at  the  present  time  (1876), 
the  telegraphs  were  essential  in  warfare,  and  that  not  even  the 
smallest  war  could  be  carried  on  successfully  without  them.  It 
is  not  too  much  to  state,  that  the  success  of  the  Ashantee  war 
was  owing  very  much  to  this  particular  service."  Had  Moreau 
and  Jourdan,  in  1796,  been  in  telegraphic  communication,  one 


28  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

of  their  divided  columns  (Jourdan's)  might  not  have  been 
crushed  by  the  Austrian  Arch-duke,  Charles,-  in  a  series  of 
battles,  which  compelled  Moreau  to  retreat,  as  best  he  could, 
through  the  Black  Forest.  The  German  victory  at  Sadowa,  in 
1866,  over  the  Austrians,  is  said  to  be  largely  owing  to  constant 
telegraphic  communication  between  the  two  main  columns, 
moving  from  different  bases. 

When  Professor  Morse  was  in  Berlin,  in  February,  1868, 
Baron  Von  Phillipsborn,  Director  General  of  Telegraphs,  took 
infinite  pleasure  in  seating  that  grand  old  man  in  his  little  ante- 
chamber, where  he  said  to  the  professor  :  "Here,"  pointing  on 
a  telegraph  map,  ' '  the  Crown  Prince  came  down  through  Silesia. 
This,"  again ( indicating,  ''is  the  line  of  march  of  Prince  Fred-' 
erick  Charles.  From  this  station,  the  Crown  Prince  telegraphed 
Prince  Frederick  Charles,  always  over  Berlin,  '  Where  are  you  ? ' 
The  answer  reached  him,  also  over  Berlin.  The  Austrians  were 
here,"  said  he,  pointing.  "The  next  day.  Prince  Frederick 
Charles  comes  here,"  indicating,  "  and  telegraphs  the  fact  to  the 
Crown  Prince,  who  hurries  forward,  and  a  junction  was  effected 
at  Kiinigsgratz.     After  that,  Prussia  was  safe." 

But  it  is  uniyersally  conceded  that  to  the  Federals  in  the  late 
war,  first,  and  to  a  large,  but  less  general  extent,  to  the  Con- 
federates, also,  is  due  the  practical  demonstration,  on  the  largest 
possible  scale,  of  the  invaluable  service  of  the  telegraph,  not 
only  as  a  convenient  courier,  but  for  tactical  purposes.  Euro- 
peans examined  our  appliances  from  the  beginning,  noting 
carefully  all  improvements,  and  as  a  result,  every  regular  army 
in  Europe  is  now  fully  equipped  with  telegraphic  apparatus  and 
material  specially  designed  for  field  service,  and  operated  by  an 
educated  corjps  telegrajphique.  Their  plans  differ  somewhat, 
but  aim  at  like  essentials.  These  are  elaborated  in  Treuenfeld's 
work,  to  which  the  student  of  these  matters  is  referred  for  a 
thorough  comprehension  of  those  systems  at  present  in  use  in 
the  various  countries.  Since  our  war,  the  most  notable  use  of 
the  telegraph  in  war  occurred  in  the  Franco-German  struggle. 
The  extraordinary  combinations  which  the  successful  employ- 
ment of  the  telegraph  enabled  the  German  commanders  to  make, 
resulted  in  overthrowing  one  of  the  great  powers  of  Europe, 
in  a  time  which,  considering  the  forces  and  wealth  and  vigor  of 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  29 

the  French,  seems  incredible  ;  is  one  of  the  marvels  of  modern 
times.  And  the  German  government  has  shown  its  appreciation 
of  its  military  telegraph  servitors.  When  the  war  closed, 
February,  1871,  the  Germans  had,  in  working  order,  1,587  miles 
of  military  telegraph,  operated  at  ninety -one  stations.  The 
system  centered  about  Paris  at  this  time,  which  city  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  telegraphic  cordon.  St.  Quintin,  Amiens,  Rouen, 
Dieppe,  Alen^on,  Le  Mans,  Tours,  Orleans,  Gien,  Auxerre, 
Montbard,  Dole  and  other  places,  were  thus  brought  to  head- 
quarters. The  great  German  army,  aided  by  such  facilities, 
was  thus  enabled  to  shackle  France.  It  was  stated  during  the 
war  by  German  officers  that,  but  for  their  telegraph,  they  would 
not  have  dared  to  advance  so  rapidly  into  France. 

Reflection. 

Herodotus  informs  us  that  the  Persians,  being  beaten  at  Mara- 
thon, were  signaled  by  persons  in  Athens,  thought  to  be  the 
Alcmaeonids,  desiring  the  restoration  of  Hippias;  the  signal 
used  being  a  burnished  shield,  by  which  the  Persians  were 
directed  suddenly  to  attack  the  city,  after  reaching  it  via  Cape 
Sunium,  during  the  absence  of  the  home  army.  Sometimes  a 
shield  was  anciently  used  as  a  signal  to  attack  both  by  land 
and  sea. 

But  of  late,  the  rays  of  the  sun  are  doing  courier  service 
where  the  electric  telegraph  could  not  be  built  or  operated,  and 
such  has  been  the  success  of  sun  telegraphing,  that  it  constitutes 
a  new  and  rapidly  developing  wonder.  This  mode  of  signaling 
is  variously  designated  as  mirror  telegraphing,  heliographic, 
helioscopic,  heliostatic  and  heliotropic,  all  of  which  seem  to 
be  essentially  identical  in  the  main  principles.  But  the  instru- 
ments by  which  the  rays  are  concentrated  and  reflected  differ 
somewhat,  and  hence  some  are  better  calculated  than  others  to 
work  at  great  distances.  The  heliostat  was  invented  by  's  Gra- 
vesande,  about  a  century  and  a  half  ago. 

In  1861,  officers  of  the  United  States  Coast  Survey,  at  work 
in  the  Lake  Superior  regions,  demonstrated  the  usefulness  of  the 
mirror,  equatorially  mounted,  for  telegraphic  purposes,  and 
succeeded  in  conveying  their  signals  with  ease  and  rapidity  a 
distance  of  ninety   miles.      During  the  same  year,  Moses  G. 


30  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Farmer,  an  American  electrician,  a  man  of  infinite  invention, 
succeeded  in  thus  telegraphing  along  the  Massachusetts  coast, 
from  Hull  to  Nantasket.  The  next  year  some  English  officers 
introduced  the  system  into  the  British  navy,  with  modification 
and  improvement,  using  at  night  an  electric  or  calcium  light. 
The  signals  communicated  are  made  by  alternately  exposing  and 
cutting  ofi"  continuous  rays  of  light  reflected  from  one  station  to 
another.  But  by  the  (H.)  Mance  heliograph,  an  instrument 
used  by  the  English,  telegraphing  is  done  by  pressing  a  finger- 
key,  whereby  flashes  of  light,  of  long  or  short  duration,  are 
emitted.  These  flashes  and  intervals  or  spaces  are  easily  made 
to  indicate  what  in  the  Morse  alphabet  are  shown  by  dots,  spaces 

and  dashes  ;    thus,  a may  be  one  quick  flash  and  one  long 

beam  of  light ;  c  —  may  be  three  flashes,  with  an  interval  or 
space  between  the  last  two.  In  this  way  the  Morse  alphabet 
may  be  telegraphed  as  easily  as  by  an  electrized  wire.  Indeed, 
ungodly  parties  have  before  now,  at  church,  telegraphed  across 
the  room  without  awakening  suspicion,  by  a  mere  movement  of 
the  eyelids.  It  is  reported  that  during  the  siege  of  Paris 
(1870-1),  messages  were  telegraphed  therefrom  twenty  and 
thirty  miles,  by  the  reflection  of  calcium  lights. 

The  heliostat  is  said  to  be  the  first  instrument  for  mirror 
telegraphing  used  in  war.  The  mirror  receives  and  reflects  the 
sun's  rays,  and  a  clockwork  attachment  keeps  the  mirror  in 
position  to  receive  the  direct  sunbeams,  which  in  Nevada,  U.  S., 
are  said  to  be  so  bright  as  to  be  hurtful  to  the  eye  at  a  distance 
of  forty  miles.  Behind  the  mirror,  in  the  very  center,  some 
of  the  quicksilver  is  removed,  leaving  a  very  small,  round,  clear 
space  in  the  glass,  through  which  the  operator  looks  and  may 
watch  the  reflection  from  the  next  station.  The  Mance  helio- 
graph is  easily  operated  by  one  man,  and  as  it  weighs  but  about 
seven  pounds,  the  operator  can  readily  carry  it  and  the  tripod 
on  which  it  rests.  The  heliotrope  reflects  the  rays  by  mirror, 
but  has  no  clockwork. 

During  the  Jowaki  Afridi  expedition  sent  out  by  the  British 
Indian  government  (1877-8),  the  heliograph  was  first  fairly 
tested  in  war.  Generals  Key's  and  Eoss's  columns  in  the  Afridi 
Hills  were  thus  placed  in  communication  and  so  favorably  were 
the  officers  impressed  with  the  value  of  the  system,  that  it  was 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  31 

incorporated  into  the  Indian  army  on  a  more  liberal  scale,  and 
has  been  of  very  great  service  in  the  Afghanistan  campaigns. 
The  English  also  used  it  in  Zululand.  Where  a  sea  cable  can 
not  be  relied  upon,  this  instrument  is  coming  into  use ;  thus, 
messages  are  sent  across  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.  By  its  use, 
messages  may  be  sent  over  the  heads  of  the  enemy. 

The  United  States  coast  and  geodetic  surveying  parties  ap- 
pear to  have  improved  on  their  system  of  1861,  and  the  party 
now  triangulating  in  Nevada,  it  is  said,  are  enabled  by  their 
heliotropic  signals  to  survey  from  Arch  Dome  Peak,  Nye 
County,  the  immense  country  within  a  radius  of  two  hundred 
miles.  This  instrument  is  described  as  consisting  of  an  ordinary 
surveyor's  transit,  adjustable  to  any  vertical  or  horizontal  angle, 
thus  making  it  capable  of  being  accurately  directed  to  any  de- 
termined point.  On  the  top  of  the  telescope  are  two  sights, 
much  resembling  a  globe  sight  of  a  rifle,  but  considerably 
larger.  Back  of  these  sights  a  small  adjustable  plate-glass  mir- 
ror, three  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  is  placed,  and  the  sun's 
rays  caught  by  this  are  directed  towards  an  observer  at  a  dis- 
tance; the  reflection  from  the  mirror  is  seen  by  him;  and  it  has 
been  demonstrated  that  this  reflection  can  be  distinguished  on  a 
clear  day  for  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles. 

Wonderful  as  this  is,  there  are  already  indications  that  these 
rays  of  light  will  yet  be  the  media  for  conveying  the. human 
voice  ;  or  perhaps,  since  sound  travels  so  much  more  slowly 
than  light,  of  reproducing  the  voice  at  a  distant  station.  Pro- 
fessor A.  Graham  Bell  recently  explained  to  the  American  Sci- 
ence Association  in  Boston  his  photophone,  whereby  audible  ef- 
fects of  light  acting  upon  selenium  may  be  produced.  These  ef- 
fects are  obtained  by  a  continuous  but  undulatory  beam  of  light, 
varying  in  intensity  and  somewhat  corresponding  to  the  electric 
waves  manifested  in  the  telephone.  The  apparatus  as  described 
in  the  Scientific  American  for  September  18,  1880,  consists  of  a 
flexible  mirror  of  silvered  mica  or  thin  glass.  The  speaker's 
voice  is  directed  against  the  back  of  this  mirror  as  against  the 
diaphragm  of  a  telephone,  and  the  light  reflected  from  it  is 
thereby  thrown  into  corresponding  undulations.  The  sunlight 
is  concentrated  upon  the  diaphragm  and  is  reflected  and  rendered 
parallel  by  means  of  a  lens  set  for  that  purpose.     At  the  receiv- 


32  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

ing  station,  the  beam  is  received  upon  a  parabolic  reflector,  in 
the  center  of  which  is  a  sensitive  selenium  cell  connected  in  a  lo- 
cal circuit  with  a  battery  and  telephone.  It  is  said  that  Profes- 
sor Bell  by  this  means  distinctly  heard  his  co-laborer,  Sumner 
Tainter,  seven  hundred  feet  away  say,  "Mr.  Bell,  if  you  hear 
what  I  say,  wave  your  hat  out  of  the  window,"  and  that  the 
Professor  expects  to  converse  thus  as  far  as  the  rays  can  be  dis- 
cerned. 

In  the  light  of  possibilities  so  wonderful,  no  man  can  foretell 
what  methods  of  communication  may  be  used  in  case  of  another 
war,  which  now  happily  looks  very  distant  and  shadowy.  Al- 
ready the  heliograph,  by  some  name,  has  been  adopted  in  the 
armies  of  the  United  States,  England,  France,  Belgium,  and 
perhaps  other  countries,  but  as  auxiliary  to  the  electric  telegraphy 
which  it  will  never  displace. 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


CHAPTEK  II. 

WAR     CRYPTOGRAPHS. 

The  necessity  for  secret  writing  has  doubtless  been  felt  from 
the  remotest  ages.  This  was  especially  true  with  persons 
charged  with  important  public  afiairs.  History  instances  nu- 
merous interesting  attempts  to  correspond  in  cipher,  which  it 
was  believed  none  but  the  initiated  understood.  In  a  compre- 
hensive sense,  every  writing  is  cryptographical  to  those  unable 
to  master  it,  as  Greek  is  Greek  to  most  people,  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  phonetic  characters  and  all  uncommon  symbols 
or  signs,  however  plain  when  understood. 

The  key  to  Egyptian  hieroglyphical  writings  being  lost,  they 
were  unintelligible  for  thousands  of  years.  It  was  only  in  the 
present  century,  by  the  aid  of  the  famous  Kosetta  stone,  discov- 
ered at  Easchid,  Egypt,  that  these  writings  were  decipherable. 
Upon  that  stone  was  executed  the  order  that  ''this  decree  shall 
be  engraved  on  a  hard  stone,  in  sacred,  common  and  Greek  char- 
acters." 

But  no  writings  in  systems  designed  for  general  use  are  con- 
sidered cryptographical,  however  difficult ;  although  it  is  not  so 
clear*  that  the  use  of  such  systems  by  educated  parties  among  an 
ignorant  people  would  not  thereby  clothe  messages  so  written 
with  all  the  elements  of  a  cipher,  however  transparent  they  were 
in  fact.  In  other  words,  a  cipher  key  is  but  a  system  of  convey- 
ing written  information,  which,  for  good  reasons,  it  is  believed 
that  those  who  may  see  it  in  transmission  will  be  unable  to  un- 
derstand. It  requires  no  ingenuity  to  create  new  arbitraries  for 
the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  or  for  vowels,  consonants  and  words, 
and  one  having  the  key  may  as  easily  read  such  as  the  true  ones 
they  represent.  But  on  the  part  of  the  uninitiated,  great  pa- 
tience and  much  skillful  guess-work  is  required  to  discover  the 
meaning.  And  this  would  be  equally  the  case  with  our  present 
code  of  letters  but  for  their  being  publicly  known.  All  ciphers 
3 


34  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING    THE 

composed  of  numerals,  figures  or  other  symbols  to  represent  let- 
ters, may  be  studied  out,  for  as  J.  R.  G.  Hassard,  the  translator 
of  the  ciphers  used  in  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1876,  cor- 
rectly states,  {JSlorth  American  Review  for  March,  1879,)  '^The 
ingenuity  expended  in  devising  new  alphabets  of  dots,  lines, 
mathematical  and  astronomical  symbols  and  fantastic  forms  was 
wasted.  It  was  well  known  that  some  letters  are  used  much 
more  frequently  than  others.  By  numbering  these  similar  sig- 
nals, an  intelligent  guess  can  be  made  as  to  what  they  respect- 
ively represent,  and  after  a  few  trials  and  comparisons  one  soon 
makes  sure  of  some  letters  which,  by  context,  lead  to  the  discov- 
ery of  all  the  rest. " 

Hassard  discovered  that  thirteen  difierent  codes  were  used 
for  telegraphic  correspondence  by  the  Democratic  politicians 
during  that  campaign,  and  says  that  they  included  all  classes  of 
telegraph  ciphers,  viz. :  1.  Words  or  letters  having  an  arbitrary 
signification  ;  2.  Numbers  representing  words  or  letters ;  3. 
Words  or  letters  having  their  usual  signification,  but  standing  in 
a  false  order.  Contrary  to  Mr.  Hassard's  idea  that  all  telegraph 
ciphers  "must  belong  to  one  of  these  three  classes,"  it  should  be 
stated  that  the  United  States  military  telegraph  ciphers  rarely, 
if  ever,  were  confined  to  either  class  alone,  but  usually  were 
composed  of  arbitrary  words  (first  class)  and  words  in  their  or- 
dinary sense  but  in  a  false  position  (third  class),  intenningled 
with  meaningless  words  whose  only  office  was  to  confuse.  An 
example  of  a  cipher  which  is  deceptive  only  because  it  contains 
too  much,  is  as  follows  : 

Utica  (date). 
Mr.  Phlanegan  : 

i  Papers  do  not  come  promptly.  To-night  I  am  sure  4ear" 
papa  will  be  disappointed.  At  home  all  read  the  blessed  evening 
Journal.  Raspy.  Effie  Deans. 

"i"  means,  omit  the  first  and  every  fourth  word  thereafter. 
Eead  that  way,  the  reader  will  pity  the  "dear  papa"  who  for- 
wards the  message  to  the  newsman,  and  discover  who  will  be 
most  disappointed.  The  variations  to  which  this  is  susceptible 
readily  present  themselves. 

President  Lincoln  is  credited  with  preparing  a  very  simple 


Jr.     I^yfi^ 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  ^  35 

cipher  telegram,  but  so  very  transparent  is  it,  as  hardly  to  de- 
serve to  be  called  a  cipher.     The  message  was  sent  as  follows  : 

Headquarters  Armies  of  the  U.  S.,  City  Point, 

8:30  A.  M.,  April  3,  1865. 
To  Charles  A.  Tinker,  War  Dept.,  Washington,  D.  C.  : — 

A.  Lincoln  its  in  fume  a  in  hymn  to  start  I  army  treating 
there  possible  if  of  cut  too  forward  pushing  is  he  is  so  all  Rich- 
mond aunt  confide  is  Andy  evacuated  Petersburg  reports  Grant 
morning  this  Washington  Sec'y  War. 

(Signed)  S.  H.  Beckwith. 

By  reading  the  above  backward  with  regard  to  the  phonetics 
rather  than  the  orthography,  the  meaning  will  be  apparent. 

Herodotus  instances  a  safer,  though  more  tedious  methed. 
It  appears  from  that  writer  that  Histiacus,  when  anxious  to  give 
A_ristagoras  orders  to  revolt,  could  find  but  one  safe  way,  as  the 
roads  were  guarded,  of  making  his  wishes  known.  This  was  by 
taking  the  trustiest  of  his  slaves,  shaving  all  the  hair  from  off 
his  head,  and  then  pricking  letters  upon  the  skin  and  waiting  till 
the  hair  grew  again.  This  accordingly  he  did,  and  as  soon  as 
the  hair  was  grown  he  dispatched  the  man  to  Miletus,  giving 
him  no  other  message  than  this  :  "When  thou  art  come  to  Mi- 
letus, bid  Aristagoras  shave  thy  head  and  look  thereon. "  The 
marks  on  the  head  were  a  command  to  revolt. 

The  main  object  of  this  chapter  is  to  disclose  the  several 
cipher  systems  used  by  the  belligerents  respectively,  for  tele- 
graphic correspondence,  during  the  Rebellion,  and  also  the 
Confederate  mail  cryptograph  code,  as  that  became  a  part  of 
the  history  of  the  U.  S.  M.  T.  service,  by  reason  of  its  transla- 
tion by  Federal  telegraphers. 

The  Confederates  were  extremely  unfortunate  in  their 
telegraph,  mail  and  signal  codes.  The  former  two  were 
deciphered  by  Federal  telegraphers,  and  the  latter  by  Union 
army  signal  oflficers.  The  knowledge  of  the  enemy's  flag  and 
torch  system  gained  by  the  signal  men,  was  of  very  great  con- 
sequence, especially  during  the  battle  of  Wauhatchie,  in  the 
valley  of  the  Tennessee,  and  under  the  shadows  of  Lookout 
Mountain.  The  translation  of  Beauregard's  orders,  which  were 
signaled  from  Lookout  Mountain,  where  he  was  directing  the 


36  *        THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

battle  below,  enabled  Union  General  Geary  to  meet  force  with 
ample  resistance  at  the  right  moments.  And  thus  it  came  about 
that  the  rebels  were  signally  defeated.  This  was  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  and  useful  achievements  of  the  Signal  Corps  during 
the  war.  It  is  believed  that  none  of  the  Union  telegraphic  or 
signal  systems  were  discovered  while  in  use. 

It  is  quite  surprising  that  in  a  matter  of  such  consequence 
the  Confederates  contented  themselves  with  ciphering  their  tele- 
grams by  a  device  which,  when  applied,  rendered  the  translation 
possible  without  a  knowledge  of  the  key  by  which  it  was  ' '  put  up. " 
But  it  is  a  matter  of  astonishment  that,  using  a  code  so  simple 
as  theirs,  they  did  not  foresee  the  necessity  of  ciphering  every 
word,  at  least,  in  the  body  of  the  message.  And  when  we 
reflect  that  there  was  nothing  whatever  original  in  their  system, 
except  the  key  words,  and  that  a  translation  of  a  single  line 
reveals  the  key  to  all  the  rest,  we  marvel  at  the  credulity  of 
those  talented  gentlemen  in  whose  breasts  the  great  secret  was 
hidden. 

Their  code,  described  generally,  in  a  sentence,  was  merely  a 
systematic  and  shifting  use  of  arbitrary  letters  for  real  ones,  as 
applied  to  words  only  which  indicated  the  subject  of  the  dispatch. 
Mr.  Hassard  shows  that  of  the  political  campaign  ciphers  of  1876, 
''  a  few  messages  from  Oregon  were  disguised  by  merely  substi- 
tuting b  for  a,  and  so  on  throughout  the  alphabet ;  thus,  cfnpsf 
fyqmjdju,  meant  'Be  more  explicit.'"  Instead  of  using,  as 
above,  the  second  letter  which  in  the  alphabet  follows  the  real 
one,  any  other  given  letter  may  be  employed,  but  in  such  cases 
the  meaning  of  the  letter  is  invariable,  and  once  known,  always 
understood.  This  was  not  so  with  the  Confederate  code,  as  we 
shall  see. 

The  first  cipher  message  we  know  of,  captured  by  Unionists, 
was  obtained  during  the  siege  of  Yicksburg.  What  efforts 
General  Grant  caused  to  be  made  to  unravel  this  message,  we 
know  not.  It  was  not  until  October,  1864,  that  it  and  others 
came  into  the  hands  of  the  telegraph  cipherers,  at  New  Orleans, 
for  translation. 

The  following  is  a  true  copy ; 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  37 

ViCKSBURG,  Dec.  26,  1862. 
Gen.  J.  E.  Johnston,  Jackson  ; 

I  prefer  o  a  a  v  v  r,  it  has  reference   toxhvkjqchf   f 

abpzelreqpzwnykto  prevent  anuzeyxsws 

t  p   j   w  at  that  point,     raeelpsghvelvtzfautl 

ilasltlhifnaigtsmmlfgccajd. 

(Signed)  J.  C.  Pemberton, 

Lt.  Gen.  Comdg. 

Translation. — I  prefer  Canton.  It  has  reference  to  fortifica- 
tions at  Yazoo  City  to  prevent  passage  of  river  at  that  point.  Force 
landed  about  three  thousand,  above  mouth  of  river. 

The  New  Orleans  operators  who  worked  out  this  key  were 
aided  by  the  Pemberton  cipher  and  the  original  telegram,  which 
was  found  among  that  general's  papers,  after  the  surrender  of 
Vicksburg ;  also  by  the  following  cipher  dispatch,  and  one 
other.  The  marginal  words  are  the  translation  of  the  unintel- 
ligible letters. 

Montgomery,  30th. 
To  Gen'l  E.  K.  Smith, 

Shreveport,  La.,  via  Wi. 

What  are  you  doing  to  execute  the  instructions 

sent  you,  to  H  C  D  LL  VW— X  M  W  Q  I  G—  forward  troops  to 

KM  —  GOEI  —  DMWl— J  N  — V  AS—  east  side  of  the 

DGUGUHDMIT  D.—  If  success  will  be  Mississippi, 

more  certain,  you  can  substitute  —  E  J  T  F  K  M  Wharton's   caval- 

PG— OPGEEVT  —  KQFARKF— TAG  ^^^^^'f'^^?  ^^^ 

—  HEEPZZN  — BBWYPHDN  —  OMO  ry  divisLn!^^"^^ 

M  N  Q  Q  G  —  By  which  you  may  effect  O  —  T  P  a  crossing 

Q  G  E  X  Y  K  —  above  that  part  H  J  —  O  PG—  of  the  river 

K  W  M  C  T  —  patrolled  by  the  Z  M  G  R  I  K  —  larger  class  of 

GGIUL  —  CW  — EWBNDLXL.  gunboats. 

Jeffn.  Davis 


38 


THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 


Confederate  States  Cipher  Key. 


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y 

Kep  Words.— Complete  Victory.     Manchester  Bluff. 

To  put  into  cipher  the  first  message,  which  is  put  up  by  using 
"  Manchester  Bluff"  as  the  key,  and  the  second  by  the  key  term, 
"Complete  Victory,"  find  at  the  left-hand  side  of  the  table  the 
first  letter  of  the  first  word  to  be  ciphered,  and  at  the  top  of  the 
table,  the  first  letter  of  the  key  term.  At  the  junction  of  the 
columns  in  which  these  letters  are  so  found,  will  be  seen  the 
arbitrary  letter  which  is  to  be  used  in  lieu  of  the  real  one  at  the 
left.  Continue  in  this  way  with  each  successive  letter  of  the 
message  and  key  term,  repeating  on  the  latter  till  finished.  Thus, 
"Sherman  is  victorious,"  put  in  cipher  by  using  the  first  key, 
would  read,  as  shown  by  the  capitals,  uv"q~g XEgTm N~DK V H 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  39 

F^K~c"g"h~  ^^  course,  any  change  in  the  key  word,  term 
or  phrase  changes  the  arbitraries,  and  if  neither  the  real 
message  nor  the  key  is  known,  it  would  be  somewhat  vexatious 
working  it  out,  unless  there  were  some  such  suggestive  words 
as  occur  in  Davis's  message  above,  which  indicate  the  ciphered 
words  very  clearly  \  e.  g.,  ''Bj  which  you  may  effect "  I  c^Sng 
"  above  that  part "  Jj^-  t£f  rTvTr .  This  meaning  occurred  to  the 
author,  at  first  sight,  and  doubtless  would  to  any  one  familiar 
with  military  affairs  in  that  section.  Having  guessed  real  words,  it 
is  very  easy  to  work  out  the  letters  of  the  key.  The  following 
two  important  ciphers  were  transmitted  as  divided  below  ;  i.  e. , 
each  word  was  sent  separately,  not  all  mixed,  as  in  the  Pember- 
ton  cipher.  This  division  does  not  facilitate  translation  by  the 
key  at  all,  but  materially  assists  without  it,  and  was,  therefore, 
bad  practice.  We  give  below,  each  message,  with  its  translation, 
because  these  telegrams  were  very  important.  The  curious 
reader  may,  at  his  leisure,  by  using  the  key  board,  study  out  the 
key  terms,  one  of  which  will  be  found  entirely  new  and  quite 
apropos,  in  the  light  of  what  speedily  followed. 

Confederate  States  op  America,  Military  Telegraph.     Dated 

Head-quarters,  February  25, 1865.    Received  at  Richmond, Va., 

12:25  minutes,  a.  m. 

To  Hon.  J.  C.  Breckenridge,  Sec'y  of  War:  —  I  recommend 

that  the  tsysmee  fn  qoutwp  rfatvvmp  ub  waqbqtm  exfvxj  and  iswaqjru 

ktmtl  are  not  of  immediate  necessity,  uv   kpgfmbpgr  mpc  thnlfl 

should  be  Imqhtsp.  (Signed)  R.  E.  Lee. 

Translation. — I  recommend  that  the  removal  of  public  property  ^ 
machinery^  stores  and  archives  which  are  not  of  immediate  necessity, 
he  commenced.     All  powder  ^howld  hot  secured. 

Head-quarters  C.  S.  Armies,  March  24,  1865. 
Gen.  E.  Ktrby  Smith,  comdg.  Trans-Miss.  Dept.,  Gen.: — Vvq 
ecilmympm  rvcog  ui  Ihomnides  kfch  kdf  wasptf  us  tfcfsto  abxc 
bjx  azjkhmgjsiimivbceq  qb  ndel  ueisu  ht  kfg  auhd  egh  opcm  mfs 
uvajwh  xrymcoci  yu  dddxtmpt  lu  icjqkpxt  es  vvjau  mvrr  twhtc  abxc 
iu  eoieg  o  rdcgx  en  ucr  pv  ntiptyxec  rqvariyyb  rgzq  rspz  rksjcph  ptax 


40  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

rsp  ekez  raecdstrzpt  mzmseb  acgg  nsfqvvf  mc  kfg  smhe  ftrf  wh 
mvv  kkge  pyh  fefm  ckfrlisytyxl  xj  jtbbx  rq  htxd  wbhz  awvv  fd  acgg 
avxwzvv^  yciag  oe  nzy  fet  Igxa  scuh. 

I  am  most  respectfully  your  obdt.  servt., 

(Signed)  R.E.Lee. 

Translation. — Gen.:  The  President  deems  it  advisable  that 
you  should  be  charged  with  the  military  operations  on  both  banks 
of  the  Miss.,  and  that  you  should  endeavor  as  promptly  as  possible  to 
cross  that  river  with  as  large  a  force  as  may  be  prudently  withdrawn 
from  your  present  Dept.  You  will  accordingly  extend  your  command 
to  the  east  bank  of  the  Miss.,  and  make  arrangements  to  bring  to 
thi  -  side  such  of  your  present  force  as  you  may  deem  best. 
I  am  most  respectfully  your  obedient  servant. 

One  important  objection  to  the  Confederate  telegraph  code 
consisted  in  the  fact  that  there  was  no  check  against  mistakes  in 
transmission  of  the  letters,  as  they  spelled  nothing.  Take  the 
work  "actors."  Mistakes  in  receiving  it  would  rarely  occur ; 
but  separate  the  letters,   r  -  -  -  might  be  confused  for  s  -  -  -  or 

e  -  and  i  -  - ,  t  —  for  1 ,  c  -  -  -  for  s,  i  and  e  and  s  for  r  or 

c.  Major  Cunningham,  late  of  General  Kirby  Smith's  staff, 
tried  in  vain,  for  twelve  hours,  to  decipher  a  ''bulled  "*  message 
received  near  Vicksburg,  and,  finally,  was  obliged  to  mount  his 
horse  and  steal  past  the  Federals  to  General  Johnston,  the  sender, 
at  Jackson,  to  ascertain  the  meaning  of  his  dispatch. 

It  is  a  question  if  the  Confederate  cipher  system  was  any  more 
difficult  to  the  uninitiated  than  one  of  the  first  examples  of 
secret  writing  found  in  history.  We  refer  to  the  Spartan 
Scytale  cipher.  When  the  general  of  the  army  ventured  into 
the  enemy's  country,  or  was  cut  off  in  his  own,  he  communicated 
with  the  Spartan  Ephors  by  the  use  of  a  staff,  called  a  scytale, 
an  exact  duplicate  qf  which  was  possessed  by  the  Ephors.  The 
party  desiring  to  write,  first  wound  a  slip  of  parchment  around 
the  staff,  and  then  wrote  his  message  lengthwise  with  the  stick. 
After  which,  when  it  was  unrolled,  only  unmeaning  letters, 
wholly  unconnected  with  one  another,  appeared ;  but  the 
receiver  rewound  the  ribbon  on  his  scytale,  and  all  was  plain. 

*  This  word  Is  generally  used  by  operators  In  speaking  of  messages  Incorrectly  received. 


civil  war  in  the  united  states.  41 

Confederate  Mail  Cipher. 

On  the  21st  of  December,  1863,  a  cipher  letter,  addressed  to 
"A.  Keith,  Esq.,  Halifax,  N.  S.,"  was  intercepted  by  Postmaster 
Wakeman,  of  New  York  City,  as  a  suspicious  document,  and 
forwarded  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  After  passing  through  the 
hands  of  several  stenographers  and  others  in  the  department, 
its  translation  was  considered  very  doubtful ;  but  as  a  last  resort, 
it  was  sent  to  the  telegraph  rooms,  and  Messrs.  Tinker,  Bates 
and  Chandler,  cipher  operators,  set  to  work  upon  it.  The 
following  is  a  correct  transcript  of  it  as  delivered  to  them,  and 
it  was  all  they  had  to  work  by. 

rr\s    uio„J*9,      /1>«L>,    m    in—(fv,,4iAH77'4,     I— I'     'I  <^^  0  TFk-i  "'K  "j   ' 

l'^  -  f.  Tpil-:-^    <@,   ^  ^^  £^  en  03  cp  -isj,  1^(9  ©),.  J'^^    ^^  *^^  ///^f 
J  a.v  ^ijuc^,  mJfeouU   jTcrrnu,  — f •  •    — , /-fC    -•    '"10  —  — /-/ 

t:  5R  ^TT'T^  jHv^-tj-,.  -r*  ■"- ,    -/•«..   ,»,   oo — ,— icoo  .,  ...-, 

-— I  HC^ —    OM , 1 .    E3V>D,   3LJC,  33>4T-3>C3'3^ 

^  DiA.,  t3wt«,-x'iju/Ljo,  yuy^^u^dl,.  Lj >, u  rnn,V'6.u>, AD F\fv 3, 

^-^.    -=.    ^  e    <Jrk,    -t-r-  ^^,    .-**-:-  <»^  IS,;X^.=:,  ^:  •/-*-©<!>,.=. '>,ii-^-i- 

» s=^  ?    !•  »i.  «© ^.',  -1-  a®,    <\  -r  .  —  -J-  ^  .II.  /-^  j^  ^Rk "!" ,  3 n  r-c !^ a  n,-*!^ 

=7    i,-J^» 


42  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

For  four  hours  the  cipherers  perspired  over  this  modernized  in- 
termixture of  signs,  symbols,  hieroglypliics  and  fantastic  forms. 
It  was  music,  Greek,  Indian,  Roman,  telegraphic  and  phonetic, 
and  yet  withal,  it  was  doubtless,  portentous  treason.  Imagine 
these  young  men  poring  over  this  mixture  of  demotic,  hieratic, 
hieroglyphical  and  demoniatic  symbols.  Imagine  them  inwardly 
comparing  their  task  to  Champollion's  or  Doctor  Young's  ;  each  of 
whom  claimed  the  honor  of  first  reading  Egyptian  hieroglyp- 
ics ;  two  nations  dividing  on  the  question  of  priority,  as  they  al- 
ways do  when  competitors  are  not  of  the  same  country.  Imag- 
ine the  suggestions  that  hours  of  study  and  guess-work  produced, 
to  be  examined  and  discarded.  There  was  one  great  weakness 
in  this  message,  however,  which  attracted  much  notice :  the 
words  "reaches  you"  were  tell-tales.  This  was  evident  almost 
from  the  first  to  these  experts,  but  the  context  was  hard  guess- 
ing. An  intelligent  guess  could  have  been  made  by  counting 
the  number  of  like  characters,  and  assuming  that  those  most 
used  represented  letters  most  common,  when  part  of  the  text  might 
have  been  read  ;  but  in  the  full  belief  that  "  reaches  you  "  would 
prove  a  key,  they  worked  on  on  that  basis,  until  finally  it  was 
suggested  that  the  preceding  words  might  be  '  ^before  t?ds^  reaches 
you."  It  proved  correct,  and  thus  having  ten  letters  to  start' 
with,  they  discovered  the  rest  by  context,  and  in  four  hours  the 
translation  was  completed.  In  doing  this,  enough  of  the  ^ve  sep- 
arate and  distinct  combinations  of  characters  of  which  it  was 
composed,  each  representing  the  same  letters,  were  obtained  to 
enable  the  operators  readily  to  translate  a  second  cipher,  which 
was  received  through  the  same  source  three  days  later,  being 
the  day  before  Christmas.  The  following  are  the  translations  of 
both  messages: 

New  York,  Dec.  18,  1863. 
Hon.  J.  P.  Benjamin: 

Willis  is  here.  The  two  steamers  will  leave  here  about  Christ- 
mas. Lamar  and  Bowers  left  here  via  Bermuda  two  weeks  ago. 
12,000  rifled  muskets  came  duly  to  hand  and  were  shipped  to 
Halifax  as  instructed.  We  will  be  able  to  seize  the  other  two 
steamers  as  per  programme.  Trowbridge  has  followed  the  Presi- 
We  will  have  Briggs  under  arrest  before  this  reaches 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  43 

you;  cost  $2,000.  We  want  more  money;  how  shall  we  draw? 
Bills  are  forwarded  to  Slidell  and  receipts  received.  Write  as  be- 
fore. (Signed)    J.  H.  C. 

New  York,  Dec.  22,  1863. 
Hon.  Benj.  H.  Hill,  Richmond,  Va.: 

Dear  Sir: — Say  to  Memminger  that  Hilton  will  have  the  ma- 
chine all  finished  and  dies  all  cut  ready  for  shipping  by  the  first  of 
January.  The  engraving  of  the  plates  is  superb.  They  will  be 
shipped  via  Halifax  and  all  according  to  instructions.  The  main 
part  of  the  work  has  been  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  Hil- 
ton, who  will  act  in  good  faith  in  consequence  of  the  large  amount 
he  has  and  will  receive.  The  work  is  beautifully  done  and  the  pa- 
per is  superb.  A  part  has  been  shipped  and  balance  will  be  for- 
warded in  few  days.  Send  some  one  to  Nassau  to  receive  and  take 
the  machine  and  paper  through  Florida.  Write  me  at  Halifax.  I 
leave  first  week  in  January.  Should  Goodman  arrive  at  Nassau, 
please  send  word  by  your  agent  that  he  is  to  await  further  instruc- 
tions. Yours  truly,  J.  H.  C 

The  information  thus  obtained  was  promptly  sent  to  the 
United  States  Marshal  in  New  York  ;  with  what  result  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following  telegrams  : 

New  York,  Dec.  31,  1863. 
Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War  : 

I  have  arrested  Hilton  and  his  partners  and  foreman,  and 
secured  the  plates  for  the  rebel  bonds;  also  fives,  tens,  twenties 
and  fifties.  Confederate  notes.  I  have  arrested  the  lithographer 
and  printer,  and  taken  possession  of  Hilton's  premises  and  the 
lithographer's,  and  placed  a  guard  over  them  until  the  morning, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  but  I  shall  get  the  machinery  also. 

(Signed)  Robert  Murray, 

U.  S.  Marshal, 

New  York,  Jan.  1,  1864. 
Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War  ; 

I  secured  the  machinery  and  dies  this  morning  at  two,  A.  M., 
together  with  several  millions  of  dollars  in  bonds  and  notes  of 
various  denominations.     I  am  after  the  maker  of  the  machinery, 


44  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 


T 


and    will    get    him.      From    an    intercepted    letter,    I    learn    that 
Cammack  is  in  Havana.  (Signed)  Robert  Murray, 

TI.  jS.  Marshal. 

The  officials  in  the  War  Department  were  loud  in  their 
praises  of  the  operators  who  translated  J.  H.  Cammack's  letters, 
and  in  token  of  their  appreciation,  directed  an  increase  of  twen- 
ty-five dollars  per  month  in  the  salary  of  each,  beginning 
December  1st. 

Federal  Cipher  System. 

When  Anson  Stager  responded  to  the  telegraphic  summons 
of  Governor  Dennison,  of  Ohio,  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities, 
in  1861,  to  meet  that  officer  and  arrange  telegraphic  facilities, 
he  was  solicited  to  prepare  a  cipher  whereby  the  governor  could 
safely  communicate  with  the  governors  of  Indiana  and  Illinois. 
This  Mr.  Stager  did,  and  much  of  the  early  preparation  made 
by  those  great  States  was  arranged  by  means  of  that  which  was, 
doubtless,  the  first  telegraph  cipher  used  for  war  purposes. 
Very  soon  after,  Mr.  Stager  was  telegraphed  to  meet  General 
McClellan  at  his  home  in  Cincinnati,  to  consult  concerning 
telegraphs  and  ciphers.  At  McClellan's  house.  Stager  devised  a 
new  cipher,  not  greatly  differing  from  that  given  the  governors, 
and  Allen  C.  Pinkerton,  the  noted  detective,  who,  under  an 
assumed  name,  was  introduced  by  McClellan  to  Stager,  received 
for  use  in  Kentucky  one  of  the  first  copies  of  that  cipher. 
McClellan's  campaign  in  West  Virginia,  Anderson's  early 
operations  in  Kentucky,  and  Fremont's,  farther  west,  were 
arranged  and  conducted  largely  by  the  use  of  this  cipher,  which 
is  so  short  that  we  print  it  in  full,  precisely  as  found  on  the  back 
of  a  small  business  card,  on  which  Colonel  J.  J.  S.  Wilson  carried 
it.  The  words  in  the  first  column  indicated  the  number  of  lines 
in  the  message,  and  preceded  all  others  in  the  telegrams  as 
transmitted.  Those  in  the  second  column  are  check  words,  one 
of  which  was  thrown  in  at  the  end  of  every  sixth  word.  The 
others  are  selected  words  to  represent  the  certain  officers,  places, 
etc. ,  therein  indicated.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  following 
is  all  that  was  ever  written  ;  the  routes,  columns  and  names  of 
holders  being  verbally  communicated. 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES. 


45 


COMMENCEMENT  WORDS. 


ARBITRARY    WORDS. 


CIPHER   WORDS. 

1  Mail. 

Check. 

Scott. 

Bagdad. 

Dennison. 

London. 

2  May. 

Charge. 

McClellan. 

Mecca. 

Curtin. 

Vienna. 

3  August. 

Change. 

Steedman. 

Bremen. 

Private. 

Star. 

4  March. 

Cheap. 

Kelly. 

Berlin. 

Bird's  Pt. 

Uncle. 

5  June. 

Church. 

Yates. 

Dublin. 

Columbus,  Ky. 

Danube. 

6  April. 

Caps. 

Bates. 

Turin. 

Memphis. 

Darien. 

7  July. 

Show. 

Morris. 

Venice. 

Paducah. 

Darby 

8  Telegraph 

Sharp. 

Cox. 

Brussells. 

Mound  City. 

Geneva. 

9  Marine. 

Shave. 

Washington. 

Nimrod. 

Navy  Yard. 

Mexico. 

10  Board. 

Shut. 

Parkersburg. 

Cain. 

Pillow. 

Brazil. 

11  Account. 

Ship. 

Cornwallis. 

Abel. 

Ben  M'Cullough  Grenada. 

12  Director, 

Shields. 

Smithton. 

Kane. 

Fremont. 

Paris. 

13  President. 

Poles.     , 

Clarksburg. 

Noah. 

Hunter. 

Moscow. 

14  Central. 

Tools. 

Grafton. 

Lot. 

Grant. 

Arabia. 

15  January. 

Glass. 

Cumberland 

Jonah. 

Gen.  Smith. 

Baltic 

16  Buffalo. 

Pet. 

Wheeling. 

Peter. 

Gen.  Payne. 

Britain. 

17  Pittsburg. 

Vile. 

Fairmount. 

Paul. 

Gen.  McClellan 

.  Egypt. 

18  Cleveland. 

Base. 

Horner's  Ferry.  Judas. 

Gen.  Allen. 

Negro. 

19  Rochester. 

Miscreant. 

Cumberland. 

Job. 

20  Audit. 

Scoundrel. 

Martinsburg. 

Joe. 

21  Company. 

Scamp 

Richmond. 

Frank. 

22  Station. 

Thief. 

Cairo. 

Sam. 

23  Report. 

Puppy. 

St.  Louis. 

Ham. 

24  December. 

Gentleman. 

Marietta. 

Shem. 

25  Boston. 

Nobleman. 

Prentiss. 

Mary. 

26  Balance. 

Just. 

Lyon. 

France. 

27  Refund. 

Blair. 

Rome. 

28  Debtor. 

Pope. 

Niagara. 

29  Creditor. 

Morton. 

Peru. 

30  Abstract. 

31  United. 

32  Annual. 

33  Duplicate. 

No.  lines. 

New  arbitraries  were  added  as  military  operations  seemed  to 
require. 

EXAMPLE. 

Parkersburg,  Va.,  June  1,  1861. 
To  Ma  J.  Gen.  G.  W.  McClellan,  Cincinnati,  Ohio: 

Telegraph  the  have  be  not  I  hands  profane  right  hired  held 
must  start  my  cowardly  to  an  responsible  Crittenden  to  at  polite 
ascertain  engine  for  Colonel  desiring  demands  curse  the  to  success 


kV    fW  Tvra  "^' . 


O?  THK 


■usiVEHsiTr; 


46  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

by  not  reputation  nasty  state  go  of  superceded  Crittenden  past  kind 
of  up  this  being  Colonel  my  just  the  road  division  since  advance 
sir  kill.  (Signed)  F.  W.  Lander. 

To  decipher  this,  first  take  a  sheet  of  foolscap  paper,  and 
make  six  columns,  numbering  them,  respectively,  1,  2,  3,  4,  5 
and  6,  from  left  to  right.  The  first  word  always  indicates  the 
number  of  lines  in  the  message  ;  thus,  by  looking  at  the  cipher 
key,  we  discover  that  "telegraph,"  the  first  word  in  the 
message,  means  that  there  are  eight  lines  in  it ;  therefore, 
number  eight  lines,  from  top  to  bottom,  and  place  the  words 
thereon,  thus : 

1.            3.  3.  4.  5.     •  6. 

1.  the  have  be  not  I  hands  profane 

2.  right  hired  held  must  start  my  cowardly 

3.  to  an  responsible  Crittenden  to  at  polite 

4.  ascertain  engine  for  Colonel  desiring  demands  curse 

5.  the           to  success  by  not  reputation  nasty 

6.  state  go  of  superseded  Crittenden  past  kind 

7.  of  up  this  being  Colonel  my  just 

8.  the  road  Division  since  advance  sir  kill 

If  you  now  notice  the  cipher  as  first  printed,  you  will 
discover  that  the  eighth  and  every  other  seventh  word  appears 
above  in  what  might  be  called  the  seventh  column.  Those  are 
"blind  words,"  having  no  connection  whatever  with  the 
message,  and  an  expert  would,  in  translating,  discard  them 
without  the  trouble  of  writing  them  down.  Their  purpose  is  to 
baffle  attempts  to  translate  the  message  by  shrewdly  guessing 
the  connection  that  one  word  might  have  with  another.  One- 
seventh  of  the  message  having,  in  fact,  no  real  relation  with 
the  rest,  such  guess  work  is  rendered  more  difficult.  Arbitraries 
also  answer  a  like  end,  in  addition  to  their  prime  purpose.  The 
following  political  campaign  cipher  illustrates  the  necessity  for 
extra,  or  check  words  :  "Warsaw  they  read  all  unchanged  last 
are  idiots  can't  situation."  The  sense  comes  to  one's  mind 
almost  at  a  glance,  and  formulates  as  follows  :  "  Can't  read  last 
(Warsaw)  telegram.  Situation  unchanged.  They  are  all  idiots. " 
To  translate  the  above  dispatch  of  Lander's,  which,  instead  of 
being  first  written  in  the  ordinary  way,  from  left  to  right,  was 
placed  in  columns,  read  it  by  columns,  up  the  sixth,  down  the 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  47 

first,  up  the  fifth,  down  the  second,  up  the  fourth  and  down  the 
third,  which  was  the  only  route  used  in  this  cipher. 

Ciphers  No.  6  and  7. 

These  were  introduced  early  in  the  war,  and  were  first  held 
by  Messrs.  Eckert,  Washington  ;  T.  R.  Boyle,  Louisville  ;  Wal- 
lack,  Indianapolis  ;  Davenport,  Cincinnati ;  W.  G.  Fuller,  West 
Virginia  ;  William  Hunter  and  Wade,  Cleveland  ;  J.  J.  S.  Wil- 
son, Springfield  ;  G.  H.  Smith,  L.  C.  Weir  and  Bush,  St.  Louis  ; 
G.  A.  Burnett,  Cairo ;  and  H.  Ransford,  Jr.,  and  W.  S.  Hewitt. 
Subsequently  they  were  held  by  a  much  larger  number. 

Gen.  Buell's  early  operations  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and 
also  Halleck's,  up  to  the  occupation  of  Corinth,  were  telegraphed 
in  these  ciphers.  In  the  East,  department  ciphers  were  used 
which  were  modeled  after  the  general  plan  of  these,  but  difiered 
mainly  in  routes  and  arbitraries. 

Cipher  No.  6  may  be  said  to  be  merely  an  elaboration 
of  the  first  one.  Its  column  routes  and  general  order  of 
arrangement  were  the  same.  Its  commencement  words,  however, 
were  those  which  indicated  the  number  of  words  in  the  message, 
instead  of  Utws  ;  thus,  mail  meant  six ;  may,  twelve ;  August, 
eighteen  words,  etc.,  and  in  case  the  message  fell,  short  of  the 
words  indicated,  others  without  significance  were  added  after 
the  signature,  to  complete  the  cipher. 

In  No.  7,  which  was  very  like  No.  6  in  most  respects, 
the  commencement  words  indicated  the  number  of  lines^  and 
there  were  key  words  for  as  many  as  twenty  lines.  These 
ciphers  contained  many  new  arbitraries.  When  General  John 
H.  Morgan  captured  operator  Brooks  and  his  copy,  at  Gallatin, 
Tennessee,  in  August,  1862,  these  keys  were  abandoned. 

EXAMPLE    in    no.    7. 

Colonel  Anson  Stager,  Washington;* 

Austria  await  I  in  over  to  requiring  orders  olden  rapture  bliss- 
ful for  your  instant  command  turned  and  instructions  and  rough 
looking  further  shall  further  the  Camden  me  of  ocean  September 
poker  twenty  I  the  to  I  command  obedience  repair  orders  quickly 

»  For  some  years,  most  messages  for  Washington  were  addressed  to  Col.  Stager. 


48  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

pretty  Indianapolis  your  him  accordingly  my  fourth  received  1862 
wounded  nine  have  twenty  turn  have  to  to  to  alvord  hasty. 

William  H.  Drake. 

The  above  message  was  written  originally  from  left  to  right 
in  six  columns,  using  arbitrary  words  for  real  ones  wherever 
provided.  This  made  nine  lines,  which  are  indicated  by  the 
first  word,  "Austria."  To  prepare  for  transmission,  as  above, 
the  message  was  written  up  the  first  column,  down  the  sixth, 
up  the  second,  down  the  third,  up  the  fifth  and  down  the  fourth. 
When  thus  placed,  discarding  the  tenth  or  check  word  at  the 
end  of  each  column,  and  reading  from  left  to  right  and  trans- 
lating the  arbitraries  in  this  order,  the  message  will  read  as  fol- 
lows : 

Louisville,  Ky.,  September  29,  1862. 
Maj.-Gen.  Halleck,  General  in  Chief: 

I  have  received  your  orders  of  the  24th  inst.,  requiring  me  to 
turn  over  my  command  to  Maj.-Gen.  G.  H.  Thomas.  I  have  ac- 
cordingly turned  over  the  command  to  him,  and  in  further  obedi- 
ence to  your  instructions,  I  shall  repair  to  Indianapolis  and  await, 
further  orders.  D.  C.  Buell, 

Major- General, 

Cipher  No.  12. 

This  one  was  a  great  improvement  on  the  former.  It  was 
adopted  some  time  in  1862,  and  continued  in  use  until  August, 
1864.  Being  the  first  of  a  new  series,  numbered  12,  9  and  10, 
we  will  particularly  describe  it.  It  contained  arbitraries  for  ev- 
ery  hour  and  half  hour  of  the  day  and  two  others  each  —  either 
of  which  were  used  —  for  the  names  of  all  prominent  officers, 
civil,  military,  naval  and  Confederate  ;  also  for  all  important  riv- 
ers and  places  likely  to  be  named  in  cipher  messages,  besides 
others  for  all  the  States  and  for  words  and  even  phrases  in  com- 
mon use  in  war  dispatches.  Eight  pages  were  devoted  to  col- 
umn and  line  indicators  and  routes.  The  commencement  words 
indicated  the  number  of  lines  in  a  message  or  division  of  a  tele- 
gram, and  the  respective  routes  in  which  the  telegram  or  partial 
message  was  prepared.  The  first  page  of  the  key  was  devoted 
to  messages  or  sections  thereof,  containing  four  lines.     We  find 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  4:9 

there  the  commencement  words,  army,  Anson  and  action,  each 
of  which  indicated  that  the  message  was  of  five  columns.  Three 
other  words  on  that  page  indicated  four  columns,  and  others  six. 
Each  column  had  a  distinct  route.  The  other  seven  pages  were 
alike  in  general  character,  but  indicated  a  greater  number  of 
lines.  The  eighth  page  route  was  not  by  columns,  but  by  num- 
ber, i.  e.^  each  square  made  by  the  column  lines  was  numbered, 
and  the  words  were  placed  therein  according  to  their  key  num- 
ber, counting  from  the  beginning,  as  explained  below,  where  we 
examine  No.  9. 

Stephen  L.  Robinson,  cipher  operator,  accompanied  General 
A.  J.  Smith  on  his  march  against  Forrest,  and  was  captured  by 
guerrillas,  while  returning,  when  number  twelve  cipher  key  was 
taken  from  him.  This  was  in  July,  1864,  and  in  consequence 
the  key  was  very  soon  after  discarded. 

EXAMPLE. 

To  George  C.  Maynard,  Washington 

Regulars  ordered  of  my  to  public  out  suspending  received  1862 
spoiled  thirty  I  dispatch  conmand  of  continue  of  best  otherwise 
worst  Arabia  my  command  discharge  duty  of  my  last  for  Lincoln 
September  period  your  from  sense  shall  duties  the  until  Seward 
ability  to  the  I  a  removal  evening  Adam  herald  tribune. 

Philip  Bruner. 

It  will  be  observed  that  there  are  fifty-one  words  in  the 
above  message.  It  was  put  up  by  writing  the  real  message  in 
the  usual  way,  but  every  word  was  divided  by  column  lines. 
So  written,  it  appeared  to  the  operator  putting  it  into  cipher 
that,  as  he  had  adopted  a  five-column  plan,  he  had  nine  lines,  or 
forty-five  words.  By  referring  to  his  key,  he  found  that  regu- 
lars, Rosecrans  or  run,  would  advise  the  translating  operator  the 
number  of  lines  and  columns  in  the  message,  and  also  the  route 
up  and  down  those  columns ;  hence,  one  of  those  words,  regu- 
lars, for  instance,  is  adopted  as  the  first  word  of  the  cipher,  and 
the  route  order  is  then  followed,  up  the  fourth,  down  the  third, 
up  the  fifth,  down  the  second,  and  up  the  first  columns.  At  the 
end  of  each  column  a  blind  word  is  added,  making  in  the  mes^ 
sage  fifty-one  words  in  all.  The  translator,  having  blocked  out 
4 


60  THE   MILITAKY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

^ve  columns  and  nine  lines,  and,  in  the  route  order  indicated 

written  down  all  but  the  blind  words,  and  translated  the  arbitra- 

ries  by  the  key,  finds  that  the  message  reads  from  left  to  right  as 

follows : 

Louisville,  Ky.,  Sept.  30,  1862. 
General  Halleck:  77^7 

I  received  last  evening  your  dispatch  suspending  my  removal 

from  command.     Out  of  a  sense  of  public  duty,  I  shall  continue  to 

discharge  the  duties  of  my  command  to  the  best  of  my  ability  until 

otherwise  ordered.  D.  C.  Buell, 

Major  General. 

There  is  one  feature  about  No.  12  which  has  not  been 
described,  and  which,  as  it  appertains  also  to  10  and  9, 
may  be  explained  here.  It  consists  of  a  change  of  route  by 
which  the  message  was  ciphered.  A  reformed  gambler  chanced 
one  day,  on  a  railroad  train,  to  explain  to  Colonel  Stager  how 
he  could  always  tell  any  card  withdrawn  from  the  pack.  By 
committing  to  memory  the  following  letters  and  figures:  K  842 
W  Y95  M  361  B  ;  or,  as  the  ex-gambler  stated  it,  "  The  king  had 
842  women,  Y95  men  and  361  boys,"  the  key  to  the  trick  is 
preserved.  Each  of  these  nine  figures  represents  a  spotted  card, 
except  1,  which  means  ace  ;  boys,  means  ten  spot ;  women, 
queen,  and  men,  Jack.  The  pack  is  arranged  by  placing  the 
cards  of  each  kind  in  their  order,  as  above,  and  the  whole 
together  alphabetically,  thus :  clubs,  diamonds,  hearts  and 
spades  are  put  together  in  this  order,  after  being  arranged  in  the 
order  of  kings  first,  eight  spot  second,  four  spot  next,  etc.  As 
these  cards  are  systematically  arranged,  it  is  easy  for  any  one 
knowing  the  plan  to  run  over  the  deck  until  he  finds  a  card 
missing  and  state  its  name,  or,  upon  seeing  the  card  itself  and 
not  the  others,  to  name  those  it  lay  between.  It  occurred  to 
Colonel  Stager  to  utilize  the  idea  above  developed,  in  his  cipher 
system,  and  as  a  preliminary  thereto,  he  used  it  in  his  own 
telegraphic  correspondence  with  Major  T.  T.  Eckert  and  others 

in  the  war  office,  as  follows  :  ||  g^^  w  795  M  361  B>  using  ''Jack" 
as  a  key  word. 

ILLUSTRATION. 
Jack  arrival  home  me  going  please  on  to-day's  am  express  there 
meet  on  I. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


51 


If  the  reader  numbers  each  word,  beginning  with  "  arrival  " 

and  places  each  numbered  word  in  the  order  of  the  key  figures, 

fhp  niP^sflP-e  will  rend      13   8        4  2       12        7  9  5 

me  message  win  reaa,  a  j  ^m  going  home  on  to-day's  express.     Please 

meet  me  on  arrival  there." 
11     3    6         1         10 

This  idea  was  further  developed,  and  incorporated  into  these 
three  ciphers,  distinctively,  but  in  principle,  as  shown  by  one, 
as  follows  : 


Stanton 

McClellan 

McDowell 


MESSAGE   OR  DIVISION   OF   SIX   LINES. 


SIX    COLUMN    ROUTE. 


Each  meaning 
six  columns. 

X 

6 

7 
8 

17 
5 

18 

27 

28 

4 

X 

36 
35 
34 

X 

26 
25 
24 

X 

16 
15 
14 

9 

19 

29 

3 

23 

18 

10 

20 

30 

33 

2 

12 

11 

21 

31 

32 

22 

1 

EXAMPLE. 

Washington,  July  15,  1863. 
To  W.  G.  Fuller,  Memphis,  Tenn.: 

Clara  McClellan,  applause  qvery  spare  safe  occupied  for 
present  sufficiently  your  forces  prentiss  if  the'  world  valley  the 
render  have  caught  bear  line  you  to  he  hard  chorus  to  all  to  zebras 
rufi'  if  the  can  operate  wafers  lean  towards  on  send  wiley  blubber 

J^  T.  T.  ECKERT. 

Standing  "Clara"  aside  as  representing  10:30  a.  m.  (girls' 
names  were  used  to  indicate  time,  and  usually  preceded  the  key 
term),  we  discard  "McClellan,"  the  keyword  which  discloses 
the  particular  route  and  number  of  lines,  and  beginning  with 
"  applause, "  insert  the  words  in  their  order  in  the  respective 
squares  as  numbered,  discarding,  however,  one  blind  or  check 
word  wherever  X  follows  a  number. 

The  result,  after  translating  arbitraries  which  are  printed 
above  in  italics,  is  as  follows  :  ^ 


^,?  ■  /  d>e^^^^^  ' 


52  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Washington,  10:30  a.  m.,  July  15,  1863. 
For  Gen.  S.  A.  Hurlbut,  Memphis  : 

If  Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman's  movements  have  sufficiently  occupied 
the  enemy  to  render  your  line  safe,  send  all  the  forces  you  can 
spare  to  Brig.-Gen.  Prentiss  to  operate  on  Price's  rear  if  he  ad- 
vances towards  Missouri.  (Signed)      H.  W.  Halleck, 

Maj.-GenH. 

Cipher  No.   9. 

In  January,  1863,  it  was,  for  prudential  reasons  purely, 
deemed  advisable  to  substitute  at  the  chief  points  and  head-quar- 
ters in  the  Western  Departments  at  least,  a  new  cipher  key  for 
No.  12,  and  therefore  No.  9  was  arranged  and  delivered.  Thus 
No.  12  was  left  in  general  use,  9  being  the  particular  cipher; 
No.  10  followed  a  few  months  later.  S.  H.  Beckwith,  Gen. 
Grant's  cipherer  while  at  Memphis,  succeeded,  by  the  use  of 
different  colored  inks,  in  making  one  key-book  exhibit  aU  three 
systems.  This  was  not  difficult,  as  the  printed  key  and  arbitrary 
words  were  alike  (but  with  different  meanings),  and  by  using 
red  ink  all  through  for  No.  10,  blue  for  9,  and  black  for  12,  the 
distinction  was  always  evident;  thus,  ''Asia"  or  "Adam," 
which  in  red  ink  meant  "Gen.  McClellan,"  in  black  meant 
"Gen.  Halleck,"  and  in  blue  "President  Lincoln."  In  this 
shape,  several  copies  of  these  ciphers  were  subsequently  issued 
by  the  chief  of  the  Telegraph  Corps. 

No.  9  cipher  complete  is  shown  in  Appendix. 

Ciphers  No.  1  and  2. 

No.  1  cipher  supplanted  No.  9,  and  it  is  probable  that 
more  important  telegrams  were  sent  in  it,  than  any  other.  It  was 
made  in  1862,  but  did  not  come  into  general  use  until  February, 
1864.  September  24,  1864,  when  operators  Pettit  and  Ludwig 
were  captured  at  Athens,  Ala.,  Confederate  Gen.  Forrest  ob- 
tained a  copy,  after  which  this  number  was  discarded.  It  con- 
sisted of  twenty-five  pages  of  the  usual  size,  i.  e. ,  about  the  size 
of  a  bank  book.  One  page  was  filled  with  time  arbitraries  ;  six, 
with  line  indicators  and  column  routes.  Each  page  contained 
nine  words,  either  indicating  the  same  number  of  columns  and 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  53 

the  one  route  on  such  page,  but  there  were  duplicate  sets  of 
line  indicators  on  each  page  ;  thus,  on  one  page,  "dunce"  and 
"snuff"  meant  one  line  ;  "charge"  and  "gold"  ten  lines,  etc. 
Besides  the  column  and  route  indicator,  two  words  were  added 
to  show  the  number  of  lines  ;  hence,  if  a  message  was  fifty-five 
words  long,  the  key  terms  might  be  "  army,"  (meaning  five  col- 
umns and  indicating  also  the  route,)  "snuft*,  gold,"  i.  6.,  five  col- 
umns of  eleven  lines,  or  instead  of  "  snuff,  gold,"  any  other  two, 
which  added  equaled  eleven,  could  be  used ;  or  some  word  indi- 
cating more  columns,  with  two  other  words  meaning  fewer  lines. 
In  this  cipher  there  were  nearly  nine  hundred  arbitrary  words. 
For  example,  "Adam  "meant  Maine,  "  Arno  "  Arkansas,  etc.; 
"  apple  "  Fort  Sumter,  "  animal  "  Fort  Monroe,  etc. ;  "  Berlin  " 
Red  River,  "Attica"  Potomac,  etc.;  "Bologna"  and  seven 
other  words  meant  the  President,  "  Bruno"  and  five  others  the 
Secretary  of  War,  etc.;  "black"  or  "  blubber "  City  Point, 
"empress"  or  "embrace"  Nashville,  etc.;  "hosanna"  or 
"  husband  "  Jeff.  Davis,  "  hunter  "  or  "  happy  "  Gen.  Lee,  etc. ; 
"  Juno  "  and  five  others  Gen.  Grant,  "  lady  "  and  three  others 
Gen.  Thomas  (G.  H.),  etc.  There  were,  also,  arbitraries  for 
arms,  brigadier-general,  by  the  way  of,  cavalry,  defeat-ed-ing, 
movement,  surprise,  regiment,  troops,  encountered  the  enemy  in 
strong  force,  etc.,  etc.,  and  finally  for  numerals.  Any  extra, 
blind  or  check  word  was  added  at  the  end  of  each  column. 

No.  2  cipher  was  arranged  on  precisely  the  same  principle, 
differ,ing  only  in  the  significance  of  arbitraries,  key-words  and 
line  indicators.  This  was  not,  however,  so  generally  held  as 
No.  1.     One  illustration  will  sufficiently  explain  both  : 

EXAMPLE    IN    NO.     2. 

New  Orleans,  June  19,  1864. 
To  Albert  B.  Chandler,  War  Department,  Washington  : 

McDowell  unsound  vessel  period  was  pine  squad  also  store 
this  nay  of  Russell  hot  ginger  revenue  for  leave  to  brocade  this 
each  revenue  at  wonderful  feat  your  tulip  at  yacht  Egypt  assist- 
ants to  revenue  tulip  flower  Baker  violet  side  date  houses  at  of  by 
former  he  cant  audit  bale  they  in  possibly  quack  about  sun  bale 
mason  Saint  Luke  f  burning  shreve  byrne  and  party  place  F  shreve 
Fremont  Dayton  law  cipher  Austin   black   at  picked  proposes  a 


54  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

happy  marriage  Cupid  made  fork  French  etc.  and  or  in  about  same 
port  T  yardstick  wilby  Honduras  and  port  the  T  Morgan  sailed  for 
Peru  spit  with  boats  fraction  Arnold  male  lie  is  volunteers  resist 
surprise  sometimes  good  Stephen  of  a  on  Ben  freckled  or  clear 
Downing  swallow  recently  Stephen  little  nose  hand  deal  they  feel 
hot  poplar  spits  inside  the  above  scars  stop  slim  George  Clarke 
phased  has  probably  and  sulphur  of  a  close  call  Windham  all  thum 
head  ere  spit  as  swallow  swallow  Jonah  inches  Browne  cut  side  be- 
hind and  spit  while  ware  rooms  awful  in  he  on  at  head  leave  tash 
slender  girl  built  mouse  two  topoph  also  also  yacht  wilby  mastiff 
flower  pistils  conversing  the  four  the  and  so  hare  high  flyer. 

(Signed)     S.  P.  Kimber. 

"  McDowell,"  the  first  word,  means  that  the  message  has  ten 
columns;  "unsound"  (2)  and  ''return"  (8),  that  it  has  ten 
lines.  If  we,  therefore,  block  out  the  message  in  ten  columns  of 
ten  lines  in  the  route  order  laid  down  in  the  key,  discarding  a 
word  at  the  end  of  each  column,  the  first  division  of  this  mes- 
sage, except  translating  the  arbitraries,  will  be  complete.  The 
route  is  up  the  fifth  column,  down  the  first,  up  the  tenth,  down 
the  sixth,  up  the  fourth,  down  the  second,  up  the  ninth,  down 
the  eighth,  up  the  third,  and  down  the  seventh.  At  this  point 
we  discover  other  key-words,  viz. :  ''volunteers  "  (nine  columns), 
"resist"  (2)  "surprise"  (7),  equals  nine  lines,  and  pro- 
ceeding as  before,  but  up  the  second,  down  the  third,  up  the 
ninth,  down  the  first,  up  the  sixth,  down  the  fourth,  up  the 
eighth,  down  the  seventh,  and  up  the  fifth,  we  find  by  translat- 
ing the  arbitraries  and  correctly  spelling  purposely  misspelled 
words  (such  as  byrne  for  burn,  hare  for  hair),  that  the  forego- 
ing cipher  resolves  itself  to  the  startled  receiver,  as  follows  : 

New  Orleans,  La.,  June  19,  1864. 
To  Gen.  Halleck,  Washington,  D.  C: 

Lieut.  T.  F.  Beal,  of  rebel  secret  service,  made  a  lieutenant  for 
burning  the  "  Sunny  Side "  near  Memphis,  proposes  to  leave 
Shreveport  about  this  date  with  ten  picked  assistants  to  burn  and 
destroy  storehouses,  boats,  etc.,  at  Ijouisville,  Cincinnati  and  St. 
Louis;  possibly  also  at  Memphis  and  Cairo.  This  party  will  .be  in 
squads  of  two  or  three  at  each  place.  They  correspond  by  mail  in 
cipher.     Lieut.  T.  F.  Beal  was  formerly  a  lawyer  at  Shreveport,  La. 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  55 

He  is  about  five  feet  six  or  seven  inches  high,  light  built,  slender, 
slim  faced,  freckled,  light  brown  hair,  light  mustache.  Has  been 
recently  cut  so  as  to  leave  scars,  probably  on  left  side  and  near  top 
of  head,  above  and  a  little  behind  the  ear;  also  at  the  junction  of  nose 
and  forehead;  also  on  inside  of  left  hand  near  the  thumb.  He  spits 
a  good  deal  while  conversing.  All  will  be  in  citizen's  clothes; 
sometimes  they  wear  pistols. 

(Signed)         E.  R.  S.  Canby, 

Major  General. 

Copies  of  the  above,  were  sent  to  cipher  operators,  for  General 
Allen  at  Louisville,  General  Rosecrans  at  St.  Louis,  Admiral 
Porter  at  Cairo,  the  commanding  officer  at  Cincinnati,  Generals 
Washburne  at  Memphis  and  Slocum  at  Vicksburg. 

Ciphers  No.  3,  4  and  5. 

No.  3  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  three  ciphers,  numbered  3,  4 
and  5.  Quite  a  number  of  arbitrary  words  and  their  significa- 
tion used  in  No.  3  were  suggested  by  S.  H.  Beckwith,  who  had 
carefully  noted  down  many  important  words  and  expressions  not 
then  represented  by  arbitraries.  In  selecting  these  words,  Beck- 
with was  careful  to  choose  those  least  likely  to  be  mis-sent. 
Although  this  matter  had  not  been  entirely  overlooked,  it  will 
be  observed  that  it  was  of  great  consequence,  inasmuch   as 

telegraphic  characters  are   composed  of  dots,  as  in  p 

dashes,  as  in  t  -  1 0 and  spaces,  as  in  o  .  .  contra- 
distinguished from  i  . .  Sometimes  the  sounder  would  "stick" 
on  letters,   making  dashes  where  dots  should  appear ;    thus, 

p  a  c  i  f  i  c  was  received  at  War  Department,  f  a i  r  f  ye. 
The  letter  p  sounded  f,  and  the  receiving  operator  misconceived 
most  of  the  other  letters.  The  cipherer  in  Washington  being 
himself  an  operator,  discovered  the  mistake,  which  none  but  a 
telegraphist  would  have  done.  Although  such  errors  were  un- 
common, the  annoyed  translator  has  been  vexed  many  times  by 
them. 

Cipher  No.  3  was  first  introduced  December  25,  1864,  and 
was  intended  for  use  at  Generals  Grant's,  Sherman's,  Thomas's, 
Sheridan's  and  Camby's  head  -  quarters  at  least,  but  it  is  believed 


56  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

it  never  reached  the  West,  and  was,  in  fact,  little  used,  if  at  all, 
after  March  23,  1865,  when  No.  4  was  adopted. 

No.  4  was  the  last  key  used  in  the  war.  March  23,  1865, 
it  was  sent  to  Captain  W.  G.  Fuller,  at  head  -  quarters.  Military 
Department  West  of  the  Mississippi ;  to  S.  H.  Beckwith,  at 
Grant's;  C.  G.  Eddy  at  Sherman's  and  W.  R.  Plum  at  Thomas' 
(G.  H.)  head  -  quarters  ;  one  other  copy  being  retained  at  the 
War  Department. 

As  shown  elsewhere,  when  the  sword  was  returned  to  its 
scabbard,  the  Federal  Government  reconstructed  and  operated 
the  Southern  lines ;  but  ere  long  surrendered  them  to  their 
owners,  retaining,  however,  in  its  service,  certain  chosen  teleg- 
raphers, at  a  salary  of  twenty-five  dollars  per  month  (where 
the '  operators  were  employed  by  a  telegraph  company),  and 
June  20,  1865,  No.  4  and  all  other  ciphers  were  discarded,  and 
No.  5  was  sent  to  the  following  United  States  military  teleg- 
raphers :  Louis  B.  Spellman,  Houston,  Texas,  and  two  others 
in  that  State ;  James  E.  Pettit,  Augusta,  Georgia ;  John  C. 
Gregg,  Atlanta,  Georgia ;  W.  T.  Mason,  Cairo,  Illinois ;  A.  W. 
Smith,  Columbia,  South  Carolina ;  J.  W.  Wickard,  Charleston, 
South  Carolina ;  J.  L.  Buruck-er,  with  General  Dodge  on  the 
plains ;  Theodore  Holt,  Little  Rock,  Arkansas  ;  D.  Byington, 
Leavenworth,  Kansas ;  D.  O.  Dyer,  Memphis,  Tennessee ; 
Charles  Morris,  Macon,  Georgia ;  J.  D.  Congdon,  St.  Louis, 
Missouri ;  C.  T.  Gross,  New  Orleans ;  J.  J.  Wickham,  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  and  others  at  Mobile,  Vicksburg  and  Rich- 
mond ;  and  by  them  retained  until  they  were  discharged.  We 
will  explain  No.  4,  and  in  that  way  disclose  the  main  points  of 
Nos.  3  and  5,  as  they  difiered  chiefly  in  the  particular  order  of 
routes  and  meaning  of  arbitraries. 

There  were  in  No.  4,  arbitrary  words  representing  the  time 
of  day,  dates,  days,  months,  year,  numerals,  punctuation  marks, 
chief  officers  of  the  government  and  of  the  Federal  and  Rebel 
armies,  military  names  and  common  expressions,  as,  "I  have 
ordered,"  '^I  think  it  advisable,"  states,  river5,  places,  etc.;  in 
all,  numbering  sixteen  hundred  and  eight  arbitraries,  exclusive 
of  key  words.  The  key  proper,  was  composed  of  twelve  pages, 
each  differing  in  the  words  used  and  the  route  employed.    There 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


57 


were  no  directions  in  the  book  for  the  use  of  the  cipher,  which, 
if  captured,  would  greatly  puzzle  the  possessor. 
Page  seven  entire  is  as  follows : 


3                  7                  4           2 

8                        10          14                12 

13                11                 9 

6                         5           1 

Bedroom. 

1. 

Lazy. 

Blonde. 

11. 

Liniment. 

Bedstead. 

2. 

League. 

Bloody. 

12. 

Lion. 

Beverage. 

3. 

Leather. 

Bosom. 

13. 

Liquid. 

Beyond. 

4. 

Tiegacy. 

Boy. 

14. 

Loafer. 

Big. 

5. 

Lemon. 

Bread. 

15. 

Log. 

Bill. 

6. 

Lesson. 

Bride. 

16. 

Lomax. 

Billiards. 

Let. 

Brush. 

17. 

Long. 

Bilious. 

8. 

Library. 

Bulk. 

18. 

Lucky. 

Blanket. 

9. 

Life. 

Bushel. 

19. 

Luscious. 

Bliss. 

10. 

Linen. 

Buxom. 

20. 

Luxury. 

The  above  words  are  line  indicators,  only  one  of  which  was 
used  unless  there  were  over  twenty  lines  in  the  message,  in  which 
case  others  were  added  as  required,  as  in  cipher  No.  2.  To  find 
the  route,  read  the  figures  in  the  table  above  from  left  to  right 
in  the  order  that  they  occur  alternately  in  the  upper  and  lower 
lines,  the  two  intermediate  lines  of  figures  having  no  connection 
with  the  route,  being  introduced  simply  to  deceive  the  uninitia- 
ted. The  upper  line  of  figures  denote  the  route  down  the  col- 
umn and  the  lower  line,  up.  Hence,  the  route  above  shown  is 
up  the  sixth,  down  the  third,  up  the  fifth,  down  the  seventh,  up 
the  first,  down  the  fourth  and  down  the  second  columns.  There 
are  always  as  many  columns  as  the  highest  figure  in  the  top  or 
lower  line. 


58 


THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 


EXAMPLE. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

Incubus. 
,shington,  D 

Stewart. 
.p.     July 

Brown. 
15th 

Norris. 
18 

Knox. 
60 

Madison. 
3 

for 

sigh                 man 
Simon 

Gammer        on 
Cameron 

flea 

I 

wood 
would 

give 

much 

Toby 
to  be 

trammeled 
relieved 

serenade 
of  the 

impression 

that 

Bunyan 
Meade 

bea/r 

9 

ax 
Couch 

cat 

9 

children 
Smith 

and 

awl 
all 

bat 

9 

since 

the 

knit 
battle 

of 

get          ties 
Gettys 

large 
bur^ 

ass 

9 

have 

striven 

only 

to 

get 

milage 
the  enemy- 

skeleton 
over 

turnip 
the  river 

without 

another 

optic 
fight 

hound 

• 

Please 

tell 

me 

if 

you 

no 
know 

who 

was 

the 

Harry 
one 

Madrid 
corps 

locust. 
commander 

who 

was 

for 

oppressing 
fighting 

bitch 

9 

quail 
in  the 

counsel 
council 

of 

war 

on 

Tyler 
Sunday 

Bustle 
night 

upright 
Signature 

Adrian 
A.  Lincoln. 

Bless 

him. 

By  reading  the  alternate  lines,  the  reader  will  discover 
the  real  message,  thus  shown  for  convenience.  The  arbitra- 
ges have  been  italicized.  The  other  upper  words  are  such  as  an 
expert  inserts  whenever  he  believes  that  in  deciphering,  the  con- 
text must  indicate  the  true  word.  There  are  eleven  lines  in  this 
message.  ^'Blonde"  or  ''liniment"  must  be  the  key  word. 
By  following  the  route  and  adding  an  extra  or  blind  word  at  the 
end  of  each  column,  the  message  thus  prepared  for  transmission 
would  read  as  follows  : 

Washington,  D.  C. 
To  A.  Harper  Caldwell, 

Cipher  Operator,  Army  of  the  Potomac  : 
Blonde  bless  of  who  no  optic  to  get  and  impression  I  Madison 
square  Brown  cammer  Toby  ax  the  have  turnip  me  Harry  bitch 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  59 

rustle  silk  Adrian  counsel  locust  you  another  only  of  children  sere- 
nade flea  Knox  County  for  wood  that  awl  ties  get  hound  who  was 
war  him  suicide  on  for  was  please  village  large  bat  Bunyan  give 
sigh  incubus  heavy  Norris  on  trammeled  cat  knit  striven  without 
if  Madrid  quail  upright  martyr  Stewart  man  much  bear  since  ass 
skeleton  tell  the  oppressing  Tyler  monkey. 

(Signed)     D.  Homer  Bates. 


Besides  the  cipher  keys  above  described,  thei'e  were  others 
called  "department  ciphers."  These  were  used  more  exten- 
sively in  the  Department  of  Missom'i  than  any  other.  They 
were  nearly  as  simple  as  the  "old  six  column"  cipher,  as  the 
first  was  sometimes  called,  and  were  handled  by  officers  and  op- 
erators. Tony  Walsh  lost  one  of  these  keys  with  his  pocket- 
book,  and  Brig. -Gen.  McNeil  lost  another. 

With  an  occasional  exception,  the  War  Department  ciphers 
were  manipulated  by  operators.  In  the  latter  years  there  were 
no  exceptions.  This  occasioned  bitter  jealousies  on  the  part  of 
many  staff  officers,  usually  the  captains  and  lieutenants.  The 
thought  that  a  non-commissioned  man — a  mere  citizen — perhaps 
a  boy,  at  that,  should  be  so  closely  associated  with  the  command- 
ing officer ;  that  the  greatest  secrets  of  the  general  should  be 
communicated  to  his  superior  through  such  a  medium,  and  the 
staffling  remain  in  utter  ignorance  of  those  vital  facts,  was  in- 
deed galling,  and  consequently  provoked  numerous  embarrass- 
ments for  the  operator.  It  often  happened  that  these  under  offi- 
cers chafed  at  the  refusal  of  the  operator  to  inform  them  even  in 
a  general  way  what  was  transpiring. 

The  personal  staff  officer  was  likely,  except  during  a  campaign, 
to  have  many  idle  hours  to  spend,  and  however  important  his 
services  were  in  the  field,  he  could  not  but  feel  much  unrest 
while  located  in  towns  and  cities,  pending  preparations  for  active 
operations.  Wherefore,  he  sighed  for  such  employment  as  be- 
came his  position,  and  none  was  so  tempting  as  that  which 
would  make  him  the  medium  of  confidential  communications  of 
great  military  consequence   between   his   general   and   others. 

For  some  time  after  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  army  ciphers 
were  put  up  to  some  extent  by  staff  officers.     Gen.  Lander  while 


60  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

in  West  Virginia  under  Gen.  McClellan,  and  Capts.  Thorns  and 
Thompson  at  Nashville  under  Rosecrans,  in  the  winter  of 
1862-3,  manipulated  the  cipher  key  then  in  use.  In  November, 
1862,  Generals  Grant  and  Hamilton,  it  is  related,  were  in  close 
consultation  at  La  Grange,  Tenn.  Immediately  after,  Hamilton 
went  to  the  front,  where  he  received  a  cipher  telegram  from 
General  Grant,  but  after  studying  it  for  half  an  hour,  Hamilton 
required  operator  Lew  Spellman  to  repeat  it,  which  being  done, 
the  repetition  accorded  with  the  first  transmission.  Hamilton 
could  not  translate  it,  and  Grant  insisted  it  was  correct.  Grant 
soon  abandoned  the  business  to  his  cipher  operators.  But  in 
December,  1863,  the  General  went  to  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  without 
taking  his  cipherer,  Beckwith.  En  route.  Grant  received  many 
Washington  dispatches,  which  were  to  him,  certainly  no  plainer 
than  the  hieroglyphs  of  Egypt  or  Mexico.  Consequently,  on 
his  return  to  Nashville,  he  directed  Beckwith  to  give  a  copy 
of  the  key  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Comstock,  of  his  (Grant's)  staff. 
Obedience  to  this  order,  brought  about  an  interesting  corre- 
spondence* between  Colonel  Stager  and  General  Halleck,  and 
Halleck  and  Grant,  ending  in  the  cipher  being  restored  to 
Beckwith,  and  forever  settling  the  question  as  to  who  should 
handle  the  important  cipher  keys,  in  favor  of  telegraph  oper- 
ators. 

The  cipher  system,  originated  by  Anson  Stager,  and  devel- 
oped mainly  by  him,  but  in  no  small  degree  by  others,  more 
particulary  T.  T.  Eckert,  A.  B.  Chandler,  D.  Homer  Bates  and 
Charles  A.  Tinker,  was  eminently  successful.  Copies  of  cipher 
messages  quite  often  reached  the  enemy,  and  some  were  pub- 
lished in  their  newspapers,  with  a  general  request  for  translation, 
but  all  to  no  purpose.  To  the  statement  that  in  no  case  did  an 
enemy  ever  succeed  in  deciphering  such  messages,  let  us  add 
that  neither  did  any  Federal  cipher  operator  ever  prove  recreant 
to  his  sacred  trust,  and  we  have,  in  a  sentence,  two  facts  that 
reflect  infinite  credit  upon  the  corps.  Fidelity  is  an  attribute 
of  the  business  of  telegraphy.  However  deficient  an  operator 
may  be  in  other  qualifications,  he  is  invariably  to  be  trusted 
with  any  secret  that  comes  to  him  in  the  line  of  his  employment. 
To  a  natural  disposion  to  merit  such  a  trust,  is  added  a  habit  or 

•See  Chapter  XI,  Vol.  2,  Department  of  the  Ciunberhmd.  for  details. 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  61 

faculty,  acquired  by  constant,  daily  experience,  of  keeping  the 
ears  open  and  the  mouth  shut. 

The  following  truthful  presentation  of  the  case,  is  found  in 
the  Journal  of  the  Telegraph  for  November  1,  1873  :  ''It  is  now 
twenty-eight  years  since  the  telegraph  commenced  its  mission  in 
America.  During  all  that  time,  scarcely  a  charge  can  be 
sustained  of  its  infidelity  to  the  hundreds  of  thousands  who 
have  used  it.  The  character  of  its  work  so  appeals  to  honor, 
and  so  impresses  with  the  idea  of  a  sacred  trust,  that  the 
telegraph  operators  all  through  the  land  have  been  faithful. 
This  has  sometimes  been  carried  so  far  that  an  operator  has  been 
known  to  burn  a  message  rather  than  expose  it,  even  in  a  court 
of  justice.  [Since  then,  others  have  gone  to  jail  rather  than  do 
it. — Author.]  This  prevalent  fidelity  has  been  remarkable. 
There  is  deep  philosophy  in  it.  It  proves  that  to  make  mea 
faithful  they  must  be  trusted.  The  exceptions  only  prove  the 
truth.  The  public  has  trusted  the  telegraph,  and  its  confidence 
has  been  honored.  It  has  made  a  typal  character.  The  average 
American  operator  will  never  divulge  a  secret  committed  to 
him.     His  very  business  educates  him  in  honor." 


62  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 


CHAPTEE    III. 

THE  UNITED  STATES  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  ;    ITS  INITIAL 
STATE  AND  EARLY  OPERATIONS. 

In  the  annual  report  of  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War, 
submitted  to  Congress,  A.  D.  1866,  may  be  found  the  follow- 
ing:  ''The  (United  States  Military)  Telegraph,  which  attained 
an  extent  of  15,389  smiles  of  lines  constructed  during  the  period 
of  hostilities,  with  a  total  expenditure  of  $3,219,400  during  the 
war,  and  $567,637  during  the  last  fiscal  year,  has  been  discon- 
tinued, the  material  sold  and  disposed  of,  and  the  employees  dis- 
charged; only  a  few  confidential  operators  being  still  retained  for 
cipher  correspondents  with  commanders  of  important  disti'icts. " 

Let  us  inquire  into  the  origin  of  the  extraordinary  service, 
thus  briefly  summarized. 

Military  telegraphs,  up  to  the  beginning  of  the  war,  formed  no 
permanent  part  of  the  corps  d'a/rmee  of  any  nation,  except  Germa- 
ny. In  the  United  States,  the  Army  Signal  Corps  was  the  only  re- 
cognized body  organized  for  transmitting  intelligence  quickly,  and 
from  the  outset  that  corps  was  handsomely  supplied,  because  the 
law  warranted  it;  but  the  United  States  Military  Telegraph  was  of 
slow  up-hill  growth.  It  developed  from  sheer  necessity,  a  necessity 
so  urgent  that  legal  requirements  were  disregarded,  to  the  mani- 
fest service  of  the  Union.  Its  importance  was  so  self-evident 
that  no  man,  it  is  believed,  ever  ventured  to  impugn  its  legiti- 
macy. Necessity  is  a  virtuous  mother.  For  about  the  first 
seven  months  of  the  war  the  United  States  Military  Telegraph 
was  without  a  recognized  head.  The  fallacious  idea  that  per- 
vaded all  branches  of  the  Federal  Government  nearly  to  its  de- 
struction— that  the  war  was  a  three  months'  conflict — is  charge- 
able with  the  delays  in  efiecting  a  more  complete  organization 
of  the  military  telegraph  service.  Let  us  examine  its  fragments, 
subsequently  united  into  one  harmonious  whole,  and  as  we  note 
their  growth  in  the  various  departments,  mark  also  their  opera- 


K\ 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  63 

tions.  But,  as  an  important  preliminary  thereto,  we  will  first 
discover  the  telegraphic  facilities  afforded  by  private  companies 
in  the  several  States  of  the  Union,  at  the  opening  of  the  conflict. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  there  were  three  great  private 
telegraph  corporations ;  two  at  least  were  vying  for  supremacy. 
These  three,  the  American  Telegraph  Company,  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company  and  the  Southwestern  Telegraph 
Company,  unitedly,  connected  all  of  the  cities  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  towns  of  the  Union,  except  in  the  far  West,  and  even 
there  the  Western  Union  people  were  busily  at  work,  so  that 
before  the  winter  of  1861-2  communication  was  perfected  over- 
land to  San  Francisco,  Cal.  The  American  Company's  lines,  oc- 
cupied that  entire  region  lying  east  of  the  Hudson  River,  and 
the  whole  seaboard  country  along  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  from 
New  Foundland  to  New  Orleans,  with  branches  extending  inte- 
riorly in  the  Northern  States  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Pittsburgh  and 
Philadelphia,  Pa. ,  and  Cincinnati,  Ohio ;  at  each  of  which 
points  it  met  the  Western  Union  Company's,  which  chie^y  occu- 
pied the  remaining  northern  territory,  and  had  its  eastern  termi- 
nus in  New  York  City.  In  the  Southern  States,  the  American 
met  the  Southwestern  lines  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn. ,  Mobile,  Ala. , 
and  New  Orleans,  La.,  leaving  the  Southwestern  Company 
mainly  to  occupy  the  rest  of  the  South  and  Southwest,  includ- 
ing the  States  of  Texas  and  Arkansas,  beyond  the  Mississippi 
River.  Louisville,  Ky.,  was  the  head -quarters  of  the  company 
and  its  most  north  -  westerly  point.  There  were  other  companies, 
extensive  enough  for  great  good,  but  incapable  of  long  separate 
existence  among  such  leviathans.     • 

The  attack  on  Fort  Sumter,  April  12,  1861,  having  been 
telegraphed  throughout  the  Union,  was  universally  recognized 
as  a  declaration  of  civil  war.  If  it  occasioned  joy  in  Southern 
homes  and  evil  forebodings  in  Northern,  the  telegraphic  news 
that  followed  hard  on  the  heels  of  the  reported  attack,  that 
President  Lincoln  had  called  for  seventy-five  thousand  troops 
and  for  the  assembling  of  Congress,  July  4th,  awoke  gloomy 
anticipations  in  the  minds  of  the  thinking  Southron,  and  proved 
reassuring  in  the  North.  Within  three  days  after  the  call, 
probably  not  less  than  one  hundred  thousand  men  were  prepar- 
ing to  enter  .the   Union  armies,  an^AHb^be  day  of  its  issue, 

^  OP  THB*^ 


64  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

Senator's  Wilson's  telegram  to  Governor  Andrew,  of  Massachu- 
setts, for  twenty  companies  was  so  promptly  met  that  four 
regiments,  in  various  parts  of  the  State,  being  directed  to 
muster  forthwith  on  Boston  Common,  were  there,  some  that 
night  and  the  others  the  next  day.  That  day  the  brigade  was 
telegraphed  for  to  save  Washington ;  but  five  Pennsylvania 
companies  —  five  hundred  and  thirty  souls  —  having  been  urged 
forward  by  telegraph,  preceded  the  Massachusetts  soldiers  to 
the  Capital,  reaching  there  at  seven  p.  m.  Twenty-four  hours' 
delay,  and  Washington  would  have  been  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  The  telegraph,  railroad  and  troops  unitedly  saved  the 
Capital.  Without  either,  Washington  was  lost.  Congress 
voted  thanks  to  the  soldiers.  April  seventeenth,  the  Massachu- 
setts Sixth  was  en  route;  on  the  nineteenth  Harpers  Ferry, 
Virginia,  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad,  was  captured,  and 
this  lost  to  the  Federals  the  railroad  and  telegraphic  communi- 
cation to  the  North  via  that  route.  The  only  railroad  and 
telegraph  lines  leading  from  the  Northern  States  to  Washington 
left  intact  were  located  in  Maryland,  a  State  whose 'loyalty  was 
questioned.  This  added  greatly  to  the  gravity  of  the  situation. 
Although  the  secessionists  of  Baltimore  (Md.)  were  not  in  a 
numerical  majority,  yet  they  were  domineering  in  practice,  and 
this  city,  with  its  ugly  disunion  mob,  lay  astride  of  that  remain- 
ing route,  equi-distant  between  Washington  and  Philadelphia. 

Late  on  the  nineteenth,  a  company  of  militia  of  the  District, 
on  behalf  of  the  Government,  entered  the  Washington  City 
telegraph  office,  and  compelled  every  operator  to  vacate  the 
operating  room.  No  message  was  sent  from  that  office  in  any 
direction  until  noon  of  the  twentieth.  Operators  in  an  adjoining 
room  heard  Richmond  and  other  Southern  offices  cp^lling  them, 
and  the  remarks  made  in  consequence  of  receiving  no  reply. 
On  the  removal  of  the  troops,  Mr.  A.  Watson,  from  the  War 
Department,  entered  the  operating  room  as  the  first  censor  of 
the  war.  Every  message  sent  or  received  was  subjected  to  his 
inspection.  The  operators  were  not  permitted  to  converse  with 
others  on  the  lines,  and  when  Richmond  inquired  why  calls 
were  not  answered  on  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth,  they 
were  only  permitted  to  reply,   "It's  none  of  your  business.'* 


CIVIL   WAK   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  65 

A  Mr.  Sanderson,  also  from  the  War  Department,  soon  after 
relieved  Watson. 

April  19th,  the  wires  running  to  Philadelphia  worked  badly 
from  Washington.  The  Massachusetts  Sixth  was  fired  upon 
and  stoned  by  a  mob,  while  passing  through  Baltimore,  and 
about  two  p.  M.  a  party  there  rushed  into  the  telegraph  office, 
on  the  corner  of  Baltimore  and  South  streets.  The  leader, 
armed  with  a  hatchet,  demanded  that  the  Northern  wire  be 
pointed  out  to  him ;  but,  without  waiting,  he  hurried  to  a 
window  and  severed  one  of  the  lines.  This  was  soon  after 
repaired,  and  a  report  was  circulated,  in  order  to  mislead  the 
public,  that  all  the  wires  had  been  cut ;  but,  in  fact,  one  or  two 
were  crowded  all  day  with  government  business  for  Northern 
points. 

On  the  nineteenth,  as  stated,  all  telegraphic  communication 
between  Washington  and  Richmond,  Virginia,  ceased,  creating 
a  silence  ominously  oppressive.  But  about  ten  p.  m.  of  April 
21st,  the  lines  north  of  Baltimore  Avere  cut,  causing  a  silence 
even  more  portentous.  Owing  to  the  efforts  to  relieve  Wash- 
ington by  forwarding  troops  through  Baltimore  ma  the  Phila- 
delphia, Wilmington  &  Baltimore  railroad  to  Baltimore,  and 
thence  by  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad  to  Washington,  a  party 
of  militia  and  Baltimore  police  numbering  one  hundred  and 
sixty,  under  the  leadership  of  Major  Trimble,  formerly  a 
superintendent  of  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington  &  Baltimore 
railroad  and  subsequently  killed  in  the  rebel  army,  acting  in 
behalf  of  the  Secessionists,  essayed  to  destroy  the  railroad 
bridges  and  ferries  on  the  former  route.  At  this  times  James 
A.  Swift,  a  mere  lad  of  fourteen,  was  telegraph  operator  at 
Magnolia,  Maryland,  twenty-one  miles  north  of  Baltimore,  and 
William  J.  Dealy,  another  boy  (operators  were  mostly  in  their 
teens,  in  those  days),  had  that  month  opened  a  new  office  at 
Back  River,  six  miles  north  of  Baltimore.  At  three  a.  m.,  the 
night  mail  train  from  Philadelphia  (conductor,  Tom  Slater) 
passed  Magnolia  after  an  inquiry  as  to  the  trouble  on  the  wire. 
Proceeding  as  far  as  Canton,  a  suburb  of  Baltimore,  Trimble's 
party  captured  the  train,  and  boarding  it,  proceeded  northward, 
capturing  young  Dealy,  who  had  been  at  his  post  fifty-six  hours, 
without  sleep.  He  was  one  of  the  first  political  prisoners  of 
5 


66 


THE   MILITAKY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 


the  war.  Swift,  at  Magnolia,  was  also  taken.  Keeping  these 
boys  under  strict  surveillance,  Trimble's  train  moved  toward 
Havre  de  Grace,  intending  to  scuttle  the  steamer  ' '  Maryland, " 
used  to  transport  trains  across  the  Susquehanna,  and  on  his 
return,  to  burn  the  bridges.  But  Conductor  Goodwin,  of  a 
south-bound  freight  train,  reported  (mendaciously)  that  troops 
were  then  moving  south  from  Havre  de  Grace  to  clear  the  road ; 
whereupon  Trimble  returned,  burning  the  ''draws"  of  tw^o 
bridges  and  releasing  Swift  at  Magnolia.  Dealy  was  taken  to 
Baltimore,  where  a  futile  attempt  was  made  to  induce  him  to 

join  an  artillery  com- 
pany organizing  for 
the  Confederate  ser- 
vice; and  Swift  walked 
to  Perryville,  where 
he  worked  an  office 
for  Colonel  Dare. 

April  23,  a  wire 
was  run  from  the 
main  city  office  in 
Washington  to  the 
President's  mansion. 
The  rapid  concen- 
tration of  troops  and 
military  supplies  at 
Washington  now  be- 
came of  gravest  consequence.  In  this  trying  emergency  the 
War  Secretary,  Hon.  Simon  Cameron,  had  recourse  to  Colonel 
Thomas  A.  Scott,  also  of  Pennsylvania,  who  had  achieved  a 
brilliant  reputation  as  a  railroad  manager.  Scott  hurried  to  the 
Capital,  and  ascertaining  the  requirements  of  the  Government, 
was  not  slow  to  take  men  from  his  road  —  the  Pennsylvania  — 
to  fill  the  most  important  subordinate  positions. 

Among  these  was  Andrew  Carnagie,  Superintendent  of  the 
Pittsburgh  division.  He  began  his  business  life  as  a  messenger 
boy  in  a  telegraph  office,  where  he  learned  to  operate.  After 
becoming  proficient  as  an  operator,  he  entered  upon  raih^oad 
duties,  meeting  with  marked  success,  and  ultimately  amassed  a 
splendid  fortune.     Carnagie  was  compelled  to  go  by  steamer  to 


ANDREW  CARNAGIE. 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  67 

Annapolis,  and  thence  by  rail  to  Washington,  as  the  secession 
mob  at  Baltimore  prevented  a  passage  that  way.  When  a  few 
miles  south  of  Elkridge  Junction,  as  he  was  riding  on  a  locomo- 
tive, he  noticed  that  the  telegraph  wires  were  pinned  to  the 
ground  by  wooden  stakes.  Stopping  the  engine,  he  withdrew 
one  of  them,  when  the  liberated  wires  knocked  him  heels  over 
head,  and  left  an  ugly  wound  on  his  face.  As  Carnagie  was 
about  to  take  charge  of  the  military  railroads  and  telegraphs 
under  Scott,  this  may  fairly  be  put  down  as  the  first  blood  shed 
in  the  cause,  by  any  member  of  the  Telegraph  Corps. 

Colonel  Scott  was  soon  after  made  Assistant  Secretary  of 
War,  but  there  are  no  records  which  show  the  date,  and  Colonel 
Scott  himself  could  not  supply  it.  Doubtless,  this  position 
increased  his  and  Carnagie's  duties,  and  David  Strouse,  another 
Pennsylvania  railroader,  was  directed  to  look  after  the  tele- 
graphs. Thus  early  the  latter  came  under  a  distinct  manage- 
ment, responsible,  it  is  true  to  Carnagie ;  but  he  had  too  much 
to  attend  to  not  to  give  Strouse  great  freedom  of  action.  It  was 
probably  in  August  that  Carnagie  left,  and  R.  F.  Morley  took 
his  place. 

But  to  return ;  one  of  the  first  steps  taken  by  Scott  was  to 
call  to  his  aid  four  operators  from  the  telegraph  lines  of  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad  —  operators  who  were  known  to  be 
thoroughly  experienced  in  the  work  of  running  trains  by  tele- 
graph. These  operators  reported  at  Washington  April  27th, 
ma  Philadelphia,  Perry ville  and  the  bay.  Their  names  are 
David  Strouse,  D.  H.  Bates,  Samuel  M.  Brown  and  Richard 
O'Brien. 

With  wonderful  energy,  the  labor  of  re-opening  the  B.  &  O. 
road  was  accomplished.  Taking  operators  with  him,  Scott  first 
moved  to  Annapolis,  Md.,  where  Colonel  B.  F.  Butler  had 
landed  with  his  troops.  Soon  after,  Scott  established  his  quar 
ters  at  the  Relay  House,  where  W  H.  Eckman  operated,  and  on 
Butler's  occupying  Baltimore  early  in  May,  moved  to  that  city. 
Parties  having  pushed  south  from  Havre  de  Grace,  the  railroad 
and  telegraph  once  more  connected  Philadelphia  and  Washing- 
ton, to  the  great  relief  of  an  impatient  people.  In  a  remarka- 
bly short  period,  the  blockade  of  traffic  between  Baltimore  and 
Washington  was  cleared  away,  and  under  the  thorough  system 


b»  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

then  organized,  the  enormous  labor  of  transporting  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  troops  and  millions  of  tons  of  material  and  sup- 
plies, during  the  succeeding  four  years  of  war,  was  performed 
in  a  manner  both  creditable  to  the  management  and  satisfactory 
to  the  Government. 

The  first  Government  telegraph  line  built,  connected  the  War 
Office  with  the  Navy  Yard.  David  Strouse  and  D.  Homer  Bates 
were  stationed  at  the  War  Department.  From  this  time. 
May  2,  Mr.  Bates  remained  at  the  War  Department  to  the  close 
of  the  war,  in  the  closest  possible  confidential  relations  with 
some  of  the  executive  heads  of  the  Government  —  evidence  of 
his  fi,delity,  ''strong  as  proof  of  holy  writ."  Samuel  Brown 
was  sent  to  the  Navy  Yard.  The  Government  arsenal  was  sub- 
sequently connected.  O'Brien  was  stationed  at  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  Railroad  depot,  in  Washington,  which  for  some  time 
was  also  army  head  -  quarters. 

A  vision  of  new  realities  now  appeared.  A  new  factor  in  war 
was  to  be  ushered  in.  Its  brilliant  achievements  were  not,  how- 
ever, contemplated.  Doubting  Thomases  there  were,  but  Ne- 
cessity was  also,  and  she  is  dictatorial.  Colonel  Scott  invested 
David  Strouse  with  powers  to  erect  and  maintain  such  Federal 
telegraphs  as  should  be  required  by  the  military  authorities  at 
Washington  and  in  the  Department  of  the  Potomac,  but  left 
him  dependent  upon  the  American  Telegraph  Company  for 
nearly  every  dollar  necessarily  expended  in  building,  operating 
and  maintaining  such  lines.  E.  S.  Sanford  was  president  of 
that  company,  and  to  him,  more  than  any  other  person,  the  Gov- 
ernment owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  furnishing  nearly  all  the 
funds  and  supplies  used  by  the  corps  in  that  department  for  a 
period  of  seven  inonths.  Such  devotion  deserves  a  record  that 
would  perpetuate  it,  but  such  records  are  not  kept  in  times  of 
war,  and  hence  never. 

Troops  poured  into  Washington  and  encamped  with- 
in a  radius  of  ten  Or  twelve  miles  of  the  city.  Tele- 
graphic communication  between  the  camps  and  the  War 
Department  being  possible,  became  essential.  The  number  of 
operators  in  the  service  at  this  time  was  barely  sufficient  to  work 
the  offices  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  and  the  Govern- 
ment city  lines.     The  erection  of  lines  to  the  camps  and  the  for- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  69 

tifications  now  being  built,  necessitated  an  increased  force. 
Many  speedily  volunteered,  generally  preferring  positions  at  the 
front..  William  E.  Tinney,  Albert  C.  Snyder,  Jesse  Crouse, 
James  R.  Gilmore,  Charles  A.  Jacques,  M.  V.  B.  Buell,  Henry 
W.  Benton,  Jesse  H.  Bunnell,  Jules  F.  Guthridge  and  N.  H. 
Brown  were  among  those  accepted.  The  capitol  building,  gar- 
risoned by  two  regiments,  was  connected  with  the  War  Depart- 
ment line  by  a  loop.  May  4,  a  line  was  run  up  the  north  bank 
of  the  Potomac  to  Chain  Bridge,  five  or  six  miles  from  Wash- 
ington. This  picket-post  was  occupied  first  by  J.  R.  Gilmore, 
operator,  and  a  sergeant  of  cavalry  with  six  men,  and  subse- 
quently by  Jacques  and  the  guard.  It  was  the  post  of  honor, 
because  nearest  the  enemy.  Indeed,  too  near  for  comfort,  as 
the  rebels  were  at  the  south  end  of  the  bridge,  in  plain  view 
of  Jacques,  who,  a  boy  of  sixteen,  could  easily  understand  how 
the  cavalrymen  might  escape  if  the  enemy  advanced;  but  as  for 
himself,  being  denied  a  horse,  it  was  more  problematical.  Com- 
munication with  Richmond  became  impossible  on  the  21st  or 
22d  of  May,  1861,  after  a  short  interview  between  certain  prom- 
inent oflicers  of  the  American  Company,  in  the  middle  of  Long 
Bridge,  when  the  wires  were  cut ;  but  it  continued  intact  be- 
tween Alexandria  and  Richmond  until  the  former  city  was  cap- 
tured. 

May  20,  the  Government  seized  the  dispatches  which  for 
twelve  months  had  been  accumulating  in  the  principal  telegraph 
offices  ;  the  object  being  to  discover  who  were  plotting  treason. 

After  the  capture  of  Alexandria,  May  24,  the  Federal  forces, 
in  three  divisions,  numbering  about  13,000  all  told,  located  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Potomac.  Jacques,  leaving  J.  W.  Smith 
at  Chain  Bridge,  went  to  Alexandria  and  opened  an  office  at 
Colonel  Wilcox's  head  -  quarters,  where  he  remained  under  Wil- 
cox's successors.  Colonel  Stone  and  General  Heintzelman.  This 
was  \hQ  first  strictly  military  telegraph  office  ever  erected  within 
the  Confederacy,  but  the  office  at  Arlington  House,  where  Rob- 
ert E.  Lee  had  resided,  was  the  first  one  across  the  river.  From 
Alexandria  the  line  extended  to  the  farthest  outpost,  near  Falls 
Church  on  the  west.  An  intermediate  office  was  opened  in  Au- 
gust at  Fort  Corcoran,  also  on  the  Arlington  estate,  and  about 
that  time  at  other  contiguous  points. 


70  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

At  the  end  of  June,  the  United  States  Military  Telegraph  op- 
erators were  stationed  as  follows :  W.  H.  Bauer  and  J.  J.  G. 
Kiley  at  Camden  Station,  Baltimore;  Jules  F.  Guthridge  at  Re- 
lay House,  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad;  Wjlliam  B.  Kress  and 
Crosby  J.  Ryan  at  Annapolis  Junction,  Md. ;  Samuel  M.  Brown 
and  Jesse  H.  Bunnell  at  Annapolis,  Md. ;  Jesse  W.  Crouse,  O. 
H.  Kinnaman  and  H.  L.  Smith  at  Washington  depot ;  C.  H. 
Lounsberry  at  the  Capitol  building.  At  the  arsenal,  Richard 
O'Brien  ;  War  Department,  D.  Homer  Bates,  T.  H.  Fonda, 
Thomas  Flesher,  Jr.,  and  William  B.  Wilson;  Navy  Yard,  D.  B. 
Lathrop,  John  B.  Parsons  and  Thomas  S.  Johnson;  Alexandria, 
J.  R.  Gilmore,  M.  V.  B.  Buell,  and  C.  W.  Jacques ;  Arlington 
House  (this  latter  was  the  head  -  quarters  of  General  Sanford, 
commanding  officer,  and  of  his  successor.  General  McDowell), 
H.  W.  Benton  and  C.  J.  Thomas  ;  Camp  Upton,  R.  Emmet  Cox 
and  G.  Wesley  Baldwin;  Camp  McDowell,  Albert  C.  Snyder  and 
William  E.  Tinney;  Camp  Trenton,  L.  A.  Rose  and  William  C. 
Hall ;  Georgetown,  W.  A.  King ;  Chain  Bridge,  J.  W.  Smith, 
N.  H.  Brown  and  Hamilton  Fitchett.  These  offices  were 
open  day  and  night.  It  should  not  be  understood  from  the 
above  that  all  of  these  operators  were  so  stationed  during  the 
entire  month  of  June,  as  they  were  moved  from  place  to  place 
as  occasion  required.  For  example,  Gilmore  served  a  short 
time  in  the  Capitol,  War  Department,  Chain  Bridge  and  Alexan- 
dria offices. 

Save  a  dash  or  two,  a  reconnoissance  or  so,  and  advancing 
outposts,  but  little  occurred  deserving  special  mention  in  front 
of  Washington,  up  to  the  middle  of  July,  and  that  little  not  of 
telegraphic  importance  except  in  the  general  way,  that  new  offi- 
ces were  required  and  the  force  of  operators  considerably  in- 
creased, thus  greatly  facilitating  intercommunication  between 
the  outlying  posts  in  Maryland,  Virginia  and  the  District. 
Preparations  were  also  made  to  follow  with  the  line,  close  upon 
the  heels  of  the  army  when  it  should  advance. 


General  Butler,  who  occupied  Baltimore  in  May,  took  command 
of  a  new  department  in  Southeastern  Virginia,  making  his  head- 
quarters at  Fortress  Monroe.  Arriving  there  on  tb^  twpnty-second 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE  UNITED   STATES.  71 

day  of  May,  he  soon  commanded  15,000  troops  and  had  to  con- 
front 10,000  to  12,000  Confederates  mider  Huger  and  Magruder. 
Fort  Monroe  contained  a  mile  and  a  half  of  ramparts  and  about 
sixty-five  acres  of  land  within  the  walls.  A  part  of  General 
Butler's  forces,  on  the  day  after  his  arrival,  entered  Hampton, 
but  retired  across  the  bridge  over  the  Hampton  Creek  the  same 
day  and  erected  a  redoubt  on  Segar's  farm  which  commanded 
the  bridge  and  village,  and  on  the  twenty-seventh  they  seized 
Newport  News,  at  the  mouth  of  the  James,  and  fortified  it. 

On  June  10,  1861,  the  organization  and  instruction  of  a  party 
of  signal  (U.  S.  A. )  officers  was  commenced  at  the  fortress.  On  the 
twenty-seventh.  Fort  Monroe  and  the  detached  post  of  Newport 
News  were  in  communication  by  signals.  These  officers  were  un- 
der the  instruction  and  command  of  Albert  J.  Myer,  of  the  regu- 
lar army.  Communication  was  also  kept  up  by  steamers  plying 
between  these  points.  But  these  facilities,  good  as  they  were, 
were  not  so  speedy  and  satisfactory  as  the  telegraph,  and  hence 
in  June,  James  R.  Gilmore  was  sent  to  this  department  with  men 
and  material  for  the  erection  and  operation  of  the  United  States 
military  telegraph  between  these  and  such  other  points  as  might 
be  desiofnated.  The  defeat  of  the  Federals  under  the  immediate 
command  of  General  Pierce  at  Big  Bethel,  June  10,  having 
been  followed  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  rebels  to  Yorktown, 
nothing  prevented  the  erection  of  a  line  from  the  fort  via  Hamp- 
ton (twelve  miles)  to  Newport  News,  where  Pierce  was  stationed 
— which  was  accomplished  early  in  July,  and  resulted  in  a  great 
saving  of  time  and  expense,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  com- 
manding general.  These  several  offices  were  operated  by  James 
R.  Gilmore,  line  superintendent,  assisted  by  Richard  O'Brien  at 
Fort  Monroe,  Jesse  H.  Bunnell  and  Henry  L.  Smith  at  Hamp- 
ton and  John  M.  Lock  and  John  B.  Stough  at  Newport  News. 

Perceiving  the  utility  of  the  telegraph  as  a  new  and  impor- 
tant auxiliary  in  war,  and  discovering  that  his  occupation  was  in 
danger  of  being  Othelloed,  there  awoke  in  the  mind  of  Major 
Myer  (chief  signal  officer)  an  absorbing  purpose,  i.  e.^  an  ambi- 
tion to  consolidate  with  his  signal  service  the  military  telegraph 
— an  ambition  which,  as  we  will  demonstrate  in  another  chapter, 
resulted  in  an  expensive  failure. 

General  Butler  at  Annapolis  had  been  told  by  General  Scott 


72  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

that  his  powers  as  department  commander  were  nearly  absolute. 
Occupying  a  more  important  position,  he  now  doubtless  felt 
that  his  powers  were  very  gTeat,  and,  at  the  suggestion  of  Major 
Myer,  he  ordered  J.  R.  Gilmore  to  report  to  that  officer  and  to 
conduct  the  telegraph  business  in  accordance  with  the  rules  and 
regulations  to  be  prescribed  by  him.  Now  the  distinguished 
General  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  very  autocratic  and  domi- 
neering individual,  who  would  not  brook  hesitation,  much  less 
refusal.  The  guardhouse  there  closed  in  on  disobedience. 
Without  intending  permanent  submission  (there  being  no  tele- 
graphic communication  with  Washington  at  the  time),  Gilmore 
accepted  the  situation  en  jpassa/nt^  and,  though  reporting  to  Ma- 
jor Myer,  he  reported  also  to  his  superior,  David  Strouse  at 
Washington.  The  rules  and  regulations  of  the  chief  signal  offi- 
cer were  duly  promulgated  to  all  operators  on  the  line,  who 
were  at  the  same  time,  sub  rosa^  directed  strictly  to  disregard 
them,  while  apparently  carrying  them  out  to  the  letter.  The 
respectful  ( ? )  manner  in  which  these  rules  were  received  and 
the  complimentary  ( ? )  comments  thereon  may  be  imagined  by 
those  of  the  fraternity  who  knew  the  operators  on  that  circuit. 
Among  the  rules  was  one,  that  the  operators  should  be  known, 
not  by  name,  but  by  number;  a  rule  of  long  standing  in  State 
prisons.  The  chief  having  given  notice  of  his  intention  to  in- 
spect the  line,  offices  and  operators,  Nos.  1  and  2  (Bunnell  and 
Smith)  at  Hampton  were  directed  (?)  by  Gilmore  to  put  their 
instruments,  offices,  etc.,  in  good  order  and  to  receive  their  su- 
perior with  all  honors.  Of  course  they  did  it.  Vide! — En  route^ 
Gilmore  lauded  his  operators  and  commended  the  high  state  of 
discipline  of  the  corps,  the  skill,  faithfulness  and  gentlemanly 
deportment  of  the  operators.  But  what  was  Major  Myer's  dis- 
may on  reaching  Hampton  office,  to  find  it  in  the  direst  confu- 
sion, and  the  gentlemanly  operators  in  their  shirt  sleeves  and 
bare  foot,  sitting  on  the  floor  in  a  corner  of  the  room  playing 
"  seven  up  "  with  a  greasy  pack  of  cards.  They  continued  their 
game  during  the  inspection.  If  a  reconstruction  of  that  office  was 
intended,  it  was  not  effected,  as  the  next  mail  from  Washinsfton 
brought  instructions  from  the  Secretary  of  War,  defining  the 
status  of  attaches  of  the  United  States  Military  Telegraph,  and 
requesting  the  General  to  permit  no  interference  with  them. 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  73 

July  17,  Major  Myer  was  directed  to  report  to  General  McDow- 
ell, and  the  next  month  he  became  chief  signal  officer  on  General 
McClellan's  staff.  Had  he  been  content  to  attend  to  the  signal 
service  proper,  and  leave  electrical  telegraphy  to  others,  much 
subsequent  friction  would  have  been  avoided,  to  the  great  advan- 
tage of  the  Government. 

About  the  middle  of  August,  General  Butler  was  relieved  by 
General  Wool.  Up  to  this  time  nothing  new  had  occurred  at 
the  fortress  or  its  vicinity,  of  special  moment,  save  that,  owing  to 
the  defeat  at  Bull  Run,  General  Butler  was  obliged  to  forward 
a  part  of  his  troops  to  Washington;  to  reduce  his  strength  at 
Newport  News,  and  abandon  Hampton,  which  the  enemy  burned 
August  Y,  1861. 

Since  the  19th  of  April,  Harper's  Ferry,  on  the  Upper  Po- 
tomac and  eighty  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  Washington,  had 
been  in  the  possession  of  armed  Confederates.  Late  in  May, 
1861,  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  assumed  command  of  these 
and  all  other  forces  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  General  Mc- 
Clellan,  with  head-quarters  in  Cincinnati,  was  preparing  to  invade 
Western  Virginia,  and  General  Robert  Patterson  was  at  the  head 
of  the  Department  of  Pennsylvania,  collecting  volunteers  at 
Chambersburg,  Pa.,  where  he  appeared  in  person,  June  3,  1861, 
and  about  the  seventh  began  moving  toward  the  Potomac,  which 
was  soon  crossed.  But,  Beauregard  having  assumed  command 
of  the  insurgents  at  Manassas,  Washington  was  oppressed  with 
rumors  of  his  supposed  great  force  and  intentions  against  the 
capital.  Lieutenant  General  Scott,  the  chief  army  officer  next 
to  the  President,  under  the  evil  influence  of  these  oft-repeated 
rumors,  telegraphed  Patterson  three  times  for  the  better  part  of 
his  troops.  He  even  lost  track  of  Patterson  entirely,  giving 
some  credence  to  McClellan's  report  of  Patterson's  whereabouts, 
notwithstanding,  he  had  as  late  news  from  Patterson  himself,  in- 
dicating a  different  location.  In  response  to  the  third  telegraphic 
order,  Patterson  badly  crippled  himself  (17th),  by  obeying  in- 
structions;  but  in  a  measure  his  force  was  restored  by  other 
troops  reaching  him  on  the  8th  of  July,  and  subsequently  at 
Martinsburg,  Va.,  where  he  lay  almost  a  fortnight  waiting  for 
troops  and  supplies. 


74  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Fatal  delay  !  Not  to  deviate  by  discussing  the  jpros  and  cons 
of  what  resulted  so  disastrously  to  the  Federals,  it  is  sufficient  to 
say  that  Generals  Scott  and  Patterson  seem  not  to  have  properly 
understood  one  another,  owing  in  a  large  part  to  a  lack  of  tele- 
graphic facilities.  Telegraphic  communication  over  private  lines 
was  complete  as  far  as  Hagerstown,  Md.,  and  on  the  Baltimore 
&>  Ohio  Railroad  as  far  as  Harper's  Ferry.  From  these  points, 
or  the  nearest  of  them,  dispatches  were  sent  by  mounted  couriers. 
It  was  a  sad  mistake  that  the  telegraph  was  not  advanced  with 
the  army. 

When  General  McDowell's  forces  reached  Fairfax  Court 
House  on  the  lYth  of  July,  Beauregard  telegraphed  the  Confed- 
erate Secretray  of  War,  who^  electrographed  Johnston  by  one  a. 
M.,  of  the  eighteenth,  directing  him  to  bring  immediately  the 
greater  part  of  his  army  to  Manassas. 

Patterson  understood  the  battle  was  to  have  been  fought  ere 
this  ;  but  McDowell  lay  two  days  before  the  enemy,  studying 
topography,  organizing  his  army,  and  awaiting  supplies.  Pat- 
terson, claiming  to  be  informed  that  Johnston's  force  had  been 
doubled,  retired  to  Charlestown  to  strike  the  Leesburg  road, 
which  he  and  his  officers  regarded  as  the  true  route  by  which  to 
flank  and  threaten  Johnston.  Thus  Patterson  left  Johnston  at 
perfect  liberty  to  take  whatever  troops  he  chose  to  Beauregard's 
aid,  and  it  was  about  this  time  that  Patterson  telegraphed  Scott, 
that  his  reconnoissances  had  caused  Johnston  to  be  reinforced. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  on  the  eve  of  this  first  great 
battle  of  the  war,  which  would  surely  determine  thousands  of 
men  for  or  against  the  Union,  no  adequate  means  of  communica- 
tion was  kept  open  between  Patterson  and  the  War  Department. 
Thus  at  the  vital  point  in  the  movements,  (July  17  to  22),  Pat- 
terson received  no  communication  whatever  from  the  General-in- 
Chief.  As  Patterson  claims  to  have  telegraphed  information  and 
for  orders  during  these  days,  the  trouble  may  have  been  at  Wash- 
ington City  ;  but  it  is  certain  that  there  was  no  office  nearer  Pat- 
terson than  Harper's  Ferry.  It  would  seem  that  the  neglect  was 
in  Washington,  if  it  be  true  as  stated  by  him,  that  his  move- 
ments ' '  could  at  any  moment  be  countermanded  by  telegraph, " 
and  that  his  first  information  of  McDowell's  defeat  was  three 
days  thereafter,  from  a  Philadelphia  paper. 


civil  war  in  the  united  states.  75 

''Bull  . "  Run. 

With  a  heterogeneous  army,  scarce  seventy-five  days  old,  of 
about  thirty  thousand  troops,  most  of  whom  had  but  two  weeks 
yet  to  serve,  McDowell,  obeying  General  Scott's  orders,  moved 
out  of  his  encampments  on  the  16th  of  July,  1861,  to  attack  the 
enemy  under  Beauregard,  numbering  about  twenty-two  thousand, 
behind  works  just  across  Bull  Run  Creek,  Ya. 

With  McDowell's  army  went,  also,  the  telegraph  as  far  as  Fair- 
fax Court  House,  via  Falls  Church  on  the  Georgetown  road,  with 
offices  at  both  places  ;  also,  a  line  on  the  Orange  &  Alexandria 
Railroad,  past  Springfield  and  Burke's  to  Fairfax  Station.  Rose 
and  one  Cummings  were  the  first  operators  at  Springfield.  Dur- 
ing the  night,  the  pickets  began  firing,  and  Cummings,  it  is 
said,  sought  consolation  at  the  relief  camp,  leaving  Rose,  who 
was  probably  ofi"  duty,  fast  asleep.  This  was  a  bad  beginning, 
but  the  rule  of  a  good  ending  prevailed.  Under  Strouse's  direc- 
tions, Paul  Connor,  Charles  Noyes,  Dave  Carnathan  and  other 
builders  pushed  the  lines  as  rapidly  as  they  then  knew  how. 
Considering  that  the  roads  were  nearly  blockaded  with  troops, 
artillery,  wagons  and  other  impedimenta,  fair  progress  was  made. 

On  the  nineteenth,  the  Springfield  office  was  opened,  and  on  the 
next  day  Fairfax  Station  and  Court  House  offices.  Rose  opened 
an  office  at  Burke's  Station,  at  four  a.m.  ,  on  the  twenty-first.  His 
office  desk,  chairs,  and  other  non-essentials,  consisted  of  one  re- 
jected railroad  tie. 

This  office  was  for  the  accommodation  of  the  Secretary  of 
War,  who  left  for  Washington  about  the  time  the  battle  began. 
Rose  then  proceeded  to  Fairfax  Station.  It  is  said  that  Secretary 
Cameron  went  to  Washington  to  procure  a  countermand  of  the 
order  for  battle.  Perhaps  the  Secretary  had  failed  to  convince 
General  Scott  by  telegraph.  From  the  opening  of  the  office  at 
Burke's  to  the  time  of  the  general  engagement,  there  were  five 
hours— time  enough,  but  none  to  spare.  Had  McDowell  delayed, 
he  would  probably  have  fought  that  day  on  the  defensive,  east 
of  Bull  Run.  With  or  without  the  Secretary's  recommendations, 
it  is  believed  that  General  Scott,  being  advised  by  others,  if  not  by 
General  Patterson,  on  the  twentieth,  that  General  Johnston  had 
gone  to  Manassas  with  reinforcements,  should  have  withheld  the 


76  THE   MILITAKY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

attack.     But  there  is  almost  conclusive  proof  that  General  Scott 

had  re 

attack 


had  received  the  following  telegram  in  time  to  have  staid  the 


Head-quarters  Department  of  Pennsylvania 
Charlestown,  Va.,  July  20,  1861. 
To  Colonel  E.  D.  Townsend, 

A.  A.  G.  U.  S.  A.,  Washington. 
With  a  portion  of  his  force  Jo  Johnston  left  Winchester  by  the 
road   to    Milwood  on  the   afternoon   of  the  18th  ;  his  whole  force 
32,500.  R.  Patterson, 

Maj.  Gen.  Comdg. 

The  offices  on  these  lines  were  manned  as  follows  :  Fairfax 
Station,  by  Wm.  C.  Hall  and  L.  A.  Rose;  Springfield,  C.  W. 
Jacques;  Fairfax  Court  House  (being  McDowell's  head-quarters 
office),  M.  V.  B.  Buell  and  H.  W.  Benton. 

The  battle  began  at  6:30  a.m.,  July  21,  by  General  Tyler's 
firing  the  signal  gun.  At  nine  o'clock  it  became  quite  general,  and 
up  to  about  three  p.m.,  victory  was  with  the  Federal  forces.  The 
Confederates  had  been  receiving  fresh  troops  during  the  day,  but 
now  three  thousand  or  four  thousand  additional  forces  from  Win- 
chester fell  fiercely  upon  the  Federals,  and  a  great  victory  was  sud- 
denly transformed  into  an  alarming  defeat.  From  nine  thousand  to 
thirteen  thousand  of  Johnston's  troops  had  produced  this  disaster. 

During  this  battle  and  the  antecedent  preparations  therefor,  a 
line  of  couriers  extending  from  the  Fairfax  Court  House  office 
to  the  front  (ten  miles  to  Bull  Run)  was  established,  and  General 
McDowell  caused  reports  of  the  battle's  progress  to  be  forwarded 
to  the  office  for  transmission  to  the  War  Department  office.  These 
couriers  were  to  arrive  every  fifteen  minutes.  At  Fairfax  Station, 
Hall  became  somewhat  excited,  but  remained  firmly  at  his  post, 
where  he  and  Rose  did  much  excellent  service;  but  upon  Benton 
and  Buell  devolved  the  greatest  responsibilities,  which  were 
promptly  and  efficiently  met.  Just  why  the  telegraph  was  not 
carried  on  to  Centreville,  if  not  to  the  battle-field  itself,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  state.  After  McDowell's  extraordinary  efibrts  to  stay  the 
retreat  of  his  troops  had  failed  and  there  was  no  longer  any  need 
for  the  office  at  the  Court  House,  it  was  at  1;  20  a.m.,  of  July  22, 
closed. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  17 

W.  B.  Wilson,  operating  the  War  Department  at  this  time, 
describes  the  scenes  there  on  that  memorable  (21st)  Sunday  as 
follows:  "  In  the  telegraph  office  at  the  War  Department,  through- 
out Sunday,  July  21,  1861,  were  congregated  '^the  President, 
most  of  his  Cabinet,  General  Scott's  staff  officers.  Col.  Thomas 
A.  Scott,  and  other  celebrities  of  the  nation,  with  maps  of  the 
field  before  them,  watching,  as  it  were,  the  conflict  of  arms  as  it 
progressed.  Hour  after  hour,  as  the  couriers  reported  our 
gallant  troops  steadily  forcing  the  enemy  back,  hopes  beat  high, 
expectation,  satisfaction  was  discernible  on  every  brow,  and  the 
cheers  of  our  patriotic  soldiery  as*  they  fought  bravely  on  were 
responded  to  in  the  hearts  of  all  present.  Suddenly,  as  the 
the  shades  of  evening  were  drawing  on  apace,  a  lull  occurred. 
Firing  could  not  be  heard  by  the  corps  of  observation.  No 
couriers  arrived  at  Fairfax.  What  could  be  the  matter  ?  The 
most  plausible  reason  advanced  was,  that  our  army,  now  victori- 
ous, was  resting  after  the  hard  fighting  of  that  hot  Summer 
day.  Every  few  minutes  Fairfax  was  signaled,  bat  only  to 
receive  from  the  operator  the  stereotyped  reply  of  *  no  news.' 
An  hour  was  expended,  when,  like  the  quick  flash  of  lightning 
and  the  stunning  crash  of  thunder,  came  those  chilling  words: 
'  Our  army  is  in  full  retreat. '  The  signals  now  became  more  fre- 
quent, rapid  and  excited.  The  retreat  soon  resolved  itself  into  a 
perfect  rout,  and  as  the  telegraph  reported  to  those  around  it 
assembled  the  terrible  scenes  and  heart-rending  stories  of  suffer- 
ing during  that  never-to-be-forgotten  night,  all  seemed  to  feel 
that  the  hour  of  the  nation's  greatest  peril  had  arrived,  and  clung 
instinctively  around  the  cool,  clear-visioned  President,  looking  to 
him  for  succor.  That  he  gave  it  is  a  well-known  historic  fact, 
and  needs  no  repetition  from  me." 

General  McCann,  of  New  York,  was  in  command  at  Fairfax 
Station.  General  Scott  telegraphed  him  to  use  his  troops  to  stay 
the  retreat,  but  it  was  unavailing. 

The  operators  on  the  O.  &  A.  R.  R.  were  ordered  by  the  As- 
sistant Secretary  of  War  to  remain  until  authorized  to  close 
their  offices,  when  an  engine  would  arrive  to  take  them  to  Alexan- 
dria. ' '  We  stayed, "  says  Rose,  ' '  until  the  rear  guard  ordered  us  to 
close. "  At  Springfield,  later  on  the  twenty-second,  Jacques  began 
to  sigh  for  other  quarters.     He  says  ;  "  Colonel  Thomas  A.  Scott 


78  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

orde}  ed  me  not  to  leave  Springfield  until  I  had  permission  from 
him  to  do  so.  After  a  while  the  wounded  soldiers  began  passing 
by,  a  few  at  a  time,  gradually  increasing  in  number,  followed  by 
stragglers  from  different  regiments  and  later  by  squads  and 
finally  by  companies  and  regiments,  all  in  full  retreat.  Colonel 
Scott  in  spite  of  my  endeavors  to  close  the  office,  still  kept  me 
there,  telling  me,  if  I  left  my  post,  he  would  have  me  shot."  At 
this  time  Jacques  thought  the  whole  army  had  passed,  and  mo- 
mentarily expected  the  rebels;  but  an  engine  came  at  last,  to 
Jacques'  great  relief,  and  he,  too,  at  eight  a.m.,  fell  back  in  better 
order  than  many  Congressmen  who  had  preceded  him.  Jacques 
closed  his  office  about  the  same  time  that  McDowell  and  his 
operators  entered  Washington. 

Up  to  four  o'clock,  p.m.,  of  the  21st  of  July,  dispatches  pre- 
saging a  great  victory  were  sent  North  from  the  War  Depart- 
ment. Enthusiasm  was  unconfined.  Sunday  was  not  too  hal- 
lowed, if  God  granted  victory.  But  a  leaden  silence  followed 
until  eight,  a.m.  The  War  Department  had  prohibited  the  trans- 
mission of  the  evil  tidings.  However,  the  news-reporter  who 
had  seen  the  smoke  of  battle  and  heard  the  din  of  conflict  afar 
off,  sadly  demoralized  and  laden  with  cause  and  effect,  monopo- 
lizing the  private  lines,  imprisoned  the  North  in  a  cave  of  gloom, 
by  reportorially  annihilating  the  Federal  army  and  leaving 
Washington  and  Baltimore  a  probable  prey  to  the  Confederates. 
McDowell,  who  had  much  else  to  answer  for,  was  assailed  for 
fighting  on  Sunday.  In  the  Southern  States  the  telegraph  told 
the  people  that  fifteen  thousand  Confederates  had  utterly  routed 
fifty  thousand  Yankees.  To  the  North  the  news  was  medicine, 
but  bitter  as  gall ;  to  the  South  it  was  champagne,  producing  a 
deep  and  hurtful  intoxication.  Says  Abbott:  ''Even  while  our 
armies  were  on  the  retreat  from  Bull  Run,  orders  were  telegraphed 
throughout  the  country  for  large  reinforcements.  It  is  said  that 
under  the  impulse  which  that  disaster  created,  sixty  thousand  en- 
listed in  two  days."  * 

And  now  the  army,  numbering  over  fifty  thousand  men — in- 
cluding, say,  fifteen  thousand  who  remained  in  Washington  and 
troops  called  from  General  Butler — spread  out  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Potomac,  and  throughout  that  great  body  ran  nerve  lines 

*  Abbott's  History,  Vol.  I,  p.  189. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE  UNITED   STATES.  79 

of  telegraph,  crossing,  looping  and  re-crossing  until  the  head  in 
Washington  City  felt  every  noteworthy  pulsation,  and  by  tele- 
graph, electrified,  re-organized  and  re-invigorated  it  for  greater 
efibrts. 

In  view  of  an  old  maxim,  "  Old  men  for  counsel,  and  young 
men  for  war,"  General  Scott,  though  nominally  retaining  com- 
mand, was  substantially  superseded,  July  25,  by  General  George 
B.  McClellan,  who,  by  the  1st  of  November,  had  134,285  efiect- 
ive  troops,  and  nearly  300  cannon  in  his  army  about  Washington. 

David  Strouse. 


Nothing  so  taxes  human  energies  as  the  necessities  incident 
upon  organizing  war,  unless  it  be  preparing  a  defense  when  an 
enemy  is  just  beyond  the  gates.  David  Strouse  was  chief  within 
his  sphere  of  action,  when  the  Federal  Government  armed  and 
equipped  to  repel  and  pursue  the  enemy  just  across  the  river, 
and  so  continued  until  the  roar  of  their  guns  ceased  to 
sound  threateningly  in  the  streets  of  the  national  capital.  When- 
ever the  Government  wanted  a  telegraph  line  built  and  operated, 
it  wanted  it  at  once,  and  it  was  the  hardships,  the  exposures,  the 
responsibilities  of  such  service  at  Perry  ville.  Ft.  Monroe,  Wash- 
ington, Alexandria  and  Fairfax  that,  by  the  month  of  July,  1861, 
reduced  David  Strouse  to  a  shadow  of  himself.  His  last  work 
was  in  stretching  a  wire  across  the  Potomac,  which  superinduced 
hemorrhage  of  the  lungs,  weakening  him  so  greatly  that  he  ten- 
dered his  resignation;  but  the  War  Department  officers,  recog- 
nizing his  worth,  declined  to  accept  the  proffered  resignation,  and 
in  lieu  thereof  granted  him  a  general  leave  of  absence.  A  few 
short  months  later  (November  17),  he  breathed  his  last. 

Such  characters  as  young  Strouse's  are  not  moulded  for  war, 
and  with  him  it  was  truly  but  a  sense  of  duty  that  impelled  en- 
trance upon  its  scenes.  Few  sadder  reminiscences  are  awakened 
than  the  story  of  his  life.  As  one  of  the  first  officers  of  the  service 
in  the  Department  of  the  Potomac,  a  sketch  of  his  career  might  on 
that  account  alone  be  eminently  proper,  but  as  his  short  life  was 
so  replete  with  genuine  manliness,  such  a  view  of  his  noble 
nature  is  more  than  historical,  because  it  is  elevating  also. 


80 


THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 


David  Strouse  was  born  at  Mexico  Station,  Juniata  County, 
Pennsylvania,  October  14,  1838.  At  twelve  or  thirteen,  he  left 
home  for  Airy  View  Academy,  in  Juniata  County,  where  he  re- 
mained a  little  more  than  one  year.  Thence  he  entered  the 
academy  at  Shade  Gap,  in  Huntington  County,  where  he  re- 
mained about  as  long.  During  these  years  his  tutors  and  felloAv 
students  were  attracted  to  him  because  of  his  remarkable  frank- 
ness, truthfulness  and  manifest  unselfishness.  Although  consid- 
ered bright  and  quick 
at  learning,  the  supe- 
riority of  his  endow- 
ments were  in  the  line 
of  great  natural  good- 
ness of  disposition, 
rather  than  of  intel- 
lectual genius.  A 
schoolmate  says  of 
him:  "His  popular- 
ity was  attributable 
to  his  great  aj^jprecia- 
tiveness.  No  one  gave 
him  a  kind  recogni- 
tion without  receiv- 
ing in  return  a  look 
of  '  I  thank  you.  ' " 
At  sixteen,  he  entered 
DAVID  STROUSE.  thc  Pennsylvania  Rail- 

road office  at  Mifflin 
Station,  where  he  gave  a  practical  illustration  of  his  aptitude  at 
learning.  In  the  brief  period  of  a  few  riionths,  he  "  telegraphed 
by  sound."  In  those  days  agents  often  had  charge  of  freights, 
tickets  and  the  telegraph.  The  agent  at  Mifflin,  David's  uncle, 
by  consent  of  the  officers  of  the  road,  carried  on,  in  addition  to 
those  duties,  a  merchandising  business.  Thus,  it  became  neces- 
sary for  young  Strouse  to  attend  at  times  to  both  the  store  and 
railroad  business,  and  it  is  said  that  David  would  oftentimes  re- 
ceive telegrams  by  ear  while  selling  goods  at  the  counter — a 
feat  readily  believed  now-a-days,  but  really  astonishing  at  that 
time,  and  it  brought  much  local  renown  to  the  young  "knight 
of  the  key." 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  81 

From  this  point,  he  went  to  West  Philadelphia,  and  became 
assistant  to  Superintendent  G.  C.  Franciscus,  laboring  zealously 
and  receiving  the  commendation  of  "well  done,  good  and  faith- 
ful servant,"  from  his  employer.  It  was  while  here  that  he  con- 
nected himself  with  an  evangelical  church  and  joined  the  noon- 
day prayer  meetings  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
Religion  had  been  the  subject  of  much  thought  with  him,  and 
having  decided  upon  his  course,  he  never  faltered,  but  remained 
unshaken  to  the  end.  At  the  age  of  twenty  or  twenty-one  years, 
he  became  private  secretary  to  Thomas  A.  Scott,  at  Altoona,  but 
shortly  thereafter  was  made  Division  Telegraph  Operator — a  posi- 
tion he  held  when  called  to  more  arduous  service. 

Alas,  the  sleepless  diligence,  the  incessant  change,  the  hard- 
ships and  frailties  !  David  Strouse  went  home  to  die.  While 
his  beautiful  life  was  slowly  ebbing,  it  was  his  wont  to  stroll  out 
to  the  banks  of  the  blue  Juniata,  guitar  in  hand,  and  ' '  drive  dull 
care  away,"  betwixt  the  purling  stream  and  the  sweet  strains  of 
his  instrument.  It  was  while  sitting  on  the  bank,  on  one  of  these 
strolls,  that  he  wrote  the  following  touching  lines  which  were 
first  discovered  in  his  portfolio  a  few  days  after  his  death: 

Gentle  river,  ever  flowing, 

Where  my  early  days  were  passed  ! 
Like  your  waters,  I  am  going 

Sadly  to  the  sea,  at  last  — 

To  that  ocean,  dark  and  dreary, 

Whence  no  traveler  comes  again  — 
Where  the  spirit,  worn  and  weary,  . 

Finds  repose  from  grief  and  pain. 

O'er  the  world,  I  long  have  wandered  ; 

Now,  a  stranger,  I  return, 
Hope,  health  and  manhood  squandered, 

Life's  last  lesson  here  to  learn. 

Calmly  on  thy  banks  reposing, 

I  am  waiting  for  the  day. 
Whose  calm  twilight,  softly  closing, 

Bears  the  trembling  soul  away. 

On  receipt  at  Washington  of  the  news  of  Strouse's  death,  the 
following  notice  was  issued  : 
6 


82  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Wart  Department,  Washington,  Nov.  18,  1861. 

To  THE  Members  of  the  U.  S.  Military  Telegraph  Corps  : 

It  is  with  heartfelt  sorrow  that  we  are  compelled  to  announce 
to  the  corps  the  death  of  our  superintendent,  David  Strouse.  Ever 
true  to  the  interests  of  the  Government,  attentive  to  the  wants  and 
comfort  of  his  subordinates,  kind-hearted  and  generous  to  a  fault, 
he  died,  lamented  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  untiring  efforts,  known 
to  and  appreciated  by  all  who  were  in  the  corps  during  the  first 
three  months  of  its  existence,  served  but  to  hasten  the  work  of  the 
disease  which  had  marked  poor  Strouse  for  its  victim.  He  breathed 
his  last  at  ten  o'clock  on  Sunday  evening,  and  will  be  buried  at 
eleven  o'clock  to-morrow  (Tuesday)  morning.  Peace  to  his  ashes. 
(Signed)  James  R.  Gilmore, 

D.  Homer  Bates, 
W.  B.  Wilson. 


We  left  the  army  under  General  Patterson  at  Charlestown, 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  off  the  line  of  telegraphic  communi- 
cation. On  learning  of  the  disaster  at  Manassas,  he  retired  to 
Harper's  Ferry,  where  he  was,  on  the  25th  of  July,  1861,  relieved 
by  General  N.  P.  Banks.  From  July  to  October,  J.  R.  Gilmore 
was  Superintendent  of  the  Military  Telegraphs  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Potomac.  Banks  began  falling  back  from  Harper's 
Ferry,  and  no  one  knew  just  where  to  find  him. 

On  Sunday  night,  about  September  7,  Gilmore  was  ordered 
by  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  War,  to  build  a  telegraph  line  to 
Banks'  army.  There  was  not  a  mile  of  wire,  or  a  spare  insulator, 
and  hardly  a  keg  of  spikes,  in  the  department,  but  it  was  found 
imperatively  necessary  that  McClellan  and  Banks  should  co-ope- 
rate, and  suddenly  discovered  that  the  telegraph  only,  would  make 
it  practicable.  President  Sanford  and  Superintendent  Westervelt, 
of  the  American  Telegraph  Company,  were  applied  to  by  Gil- 
more in  this  emergency,  and  the  company's  supply  agents  and 
managers  at  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Wilmington  and  New 
York  were  telegraphed  to  forward  all  they  could  find.  Arrange- 
ments were  made  for  speedy  distribution  along  the  Frederick  (Md.) 
road  to  Rockville,  thence  to  Darnestown,  Poolsville  and  Hyatts- 
town.  Monday  morning  Gilmore  started  on  horseback  and  con- 
tracted for  the  purchase  and  setting  of  poles  for  thirty  or  forty 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  83 

miles  of  line.  Many  residents  were  disloyal  and  refused  timber, 
but  Gilmore's  authority  was  held  m  terrorem  over  them  with 
success.  Tuesday  morning  the  line-building  began,  and  Thurs- 
day Banks  was  met  over  thirty  miles  from  the  capital.  Consid- 
ering the  lack  of  material;  that  the  builders  were  unaccustomed 
to  such  work,  and  that  Gilmore,  who  directed  it,  was  a  minor, 
his  progress  was  remarkable. 

The  operators  stationed  on  this  line,  in  September  and  Octo- 
ber, many  of  whom  followed  the  builders  and  opened  their 
respective  offices,  were  L.  A.  Rose,  at  Rockville;  William  J. 
Dealey,  A.  P.  Pritchard  and  R.  K.  McCaine,  at  Darnestown ; 
M.  H.  Kerner,  W.  T.  Lindley  and  W.  N.  Mclnnes,  at  Pools- 
ville,  and  William  E.  Tinney  and  Albert  C.  Snyder,  at  Hyatts- 
town. 

Pritchard  and  Dealey  encamped  with  the  builders  near  Dames- 
town,  and  were  fairly  asleep  one  rainy  night  when  couriers 
from  General  Banks  arrived,  with  orders  to  open  an  office  at  the 
end  of  the  line.  Groping  their  way  in  the  dark,  the  boys  select- 
ed an  empty  pig-sty,  which  they  roofed  with  their  blankets,  and 
connecting  their  instrument  with  the  line,  they  shivered  around 
it  all  nigkt. 

At  Darnestown  the  operators  boarded  with  one  Fisher,  whose 
custom  it  was  to  fill  a  tumbler  with  rum  toddy  every  day  at 
dinner,  and  pass  it  around  the  table  for  all  to  take  a  sip  ; 
what  was  left  was  Fisher's  own.  At  their  first  meal  with  the 
host,  Pritchard  chanced  to  sit  at  his  right,  and  so  was  the  first  to 
receive  the  toddy.  It  is  said  that,  although  Pritchard  was  a 
temperance  man,  having  taken  a  severe  cold  in  the  pig-pen,  and 
being  unaware  of  the  customs  of  that  table,  he  drank  the  glass 
empty,  to  the  utter  astonishment  of  the  Fisher  family,  and  evi- 
dent demoralization  of  Pritchard  himself,  who,  soon  after,  quit 
the  service. 

Stephen  Sargent  was  another  operator  who  worked  on  this  cir- 
cuit at  Darnestown  and  Poolsville.  Fresh  from  Port  Jervis,  N.  Y. , 
with  his  good  clothes  on,  he  galloped  his  horse  right  merrily 
over  the  pike  until  in  view  of  his  first  office  in  the  service 
(Darnestown),  when  his  horse  stopped  to  drink.  This  horse, 
being  in  the  Federal  service,  felt  the  responsibility  of  fairly 
initiating  the  new  candidate  into  the  joys  of  army  life,  and  by 


84  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

some  unexpected  gymnastic  feat,  pitched  his  rider,  as '  if  from  a 
springing  board,  into  the  creek,  and  dripping  from  this  baptism 
Sargent  entered  the  telegraph  fold. 

October  23,  a  land  telegraph  cable  was  laid  from  Poolsville 
to  Edwards  Ferry,  where  operators  C.  A.  Tinker  and  J.  L. 
Burucker  were  stationed.  From  Poolsville,  December  12,  1861, 
Parker  Spring  completed  "the  line  direct  to  Point  of  Rocks, 
where  General  Geary  commanded.  Thomas  Armour  and  Charles 
Lounsberry  operated  there.  On  the  nineteenth,  their  office  was 
under  the  fire  of  artillery,  one  shell  falling  but  twenty  feet  from 
it.  The  operators  courageously  remained  by  their  instrument, 
and  were  the  last  to  leave  the  place.  December  11,  Frederick 
City,  Md. ,  office  was  opened  on  this  line.  General  Banks  had 
removed  there.  Frank  Drummond  operated  there  until  January, 
when  he  went  to  the  relief  of  F.  M.  Ingram,  or  C.  J.  Ryan,  one 
of  whom,  at  Hancock,  Md. ,  had  become  exhausted  by  long-con- 
tinued labor  during  the  shelling  of  that  city.  The  Frederick  line 
was  extended,  December  20,  via  Williamsport,  where  N.  De- 
Bree  operated,  to  Hagerstown,  where  T.  M.  Schnell  was  operator. 

A  loop,  running  from  Rockville  to  Great  Falls  (nine  miles), 
on  the  Potomac,  was  built  in  September,  and  Edward  Conway 
was  stationed  there.  A  short  time  before  October  8,  when  C. 
W.  Moore  came  to  assist  Conway,  a  section  of  Confederate  artil- 
lery shelled  the  telegraph  office  from  the  Virginia  side,  but  not 
getting  the  range  at  first,  Conway  escaped.  His  office,  how- 
ever, was  struck  many  times. 

Balls  Bluff. 

About  the  middle  of  August,  General  Charles  P.  Stone,  com- 
manded a  division  in  the  neighborhood  of  Edward's  and  Conrad's 
ferries,  Md.,  with  head-quarters  in  a  district  school-house,  in 
Poolsville,  which  was  about  four  miles  back  from  Edward's 
Ferry.  Stone's  command  was  sometimes  called  a  Corps  of  Obser- 
vation. At  Darneetown,  a  few  miles  back,  were  the  quarters  of 
General  N.  P.  Banks.  These  officers  were  in  direct  telegraphic 
communication  with  General  McClellan.  At  Darnestown,  Wm. 
J.  Dealey,  A.  P.  Pritchard  and  R.  R.  McCaine  were  the  opera- 
tors, and  at  Poolsville,  also  in  the  school-house,  M.  H.  Kerner, 
W.  T.  Lindley  and  W.  N.  Mclnnes  worked  the  telegraph. 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  85 

A  great  deal  of  criticism  has  been  indulged  in  by  parties  of 
every  calling,  but  especially  by  historians,  concerning  the  Ball's 
Bluff  disaster.  The  author  has  no  disposition  to  add  thereto,  as 
his  examination  has  induced  a  conclusion  that  it  was  one  of  those 
accidental  happenings  which  occur  in  most  wars,  and  which  no 
human  foresight  could  be  expected  to  provide  against.  When 
the  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War  investigated  the  affair, 
it,  strangely  enough,  did  not  obtain  copies  of  many  important 
telegrams  which  are  here  first  published,  largely  with  a  view  of 
preserving  evidence  so  important. 

A  reconnoissance  in  large  force  under  General  McCall,  by 
order  of  General  McClellan,  was  made  on  the  Virginia  side 
of  the  Potomac,  October  19  and  20,  reaching  out  beyond  Draines- 
ville,  which  is  about  thirty  miles  south-east  of  Leesburg,  Va. 
Leesburg  is  three  miles  west  of  Edward's  Ferry.  McClellan 
suggested  to  Stone,  by  telegraph,  that  a  slight  demonstration 
might  have  the  effect  to  move  the  enemy  about  Leesburg. 
Pursuant  to  this,  Stone  made  a  demonstration,  and  in  addition 
twenty  men  were  sent  to  reconnoitre.  Within  one  mile  of  Lees- 
burg, a  row  of  trees  was  discovered,  and  the  moonlight  under 
their  lower  branches  produced  a  spectre  of  tents,  which  Captain 
Philbrick,  the  officer  in  command,  reported  as  a  rebel  camp, 
unguarded.  General  Stone  regarded  this  as  exhibiting  a  want 
of  care  on  the  part  of  the  Confederates,  which  it  was  his  duty  to 
take  advantage  of,  and  directed  Colonel  Devins,  in  command  on 
and  near  Harrison's  Island,  situate  between  the  ferries  and  oppo- 
site Ball's  Bluff,  to  take  five  companies  as  noiselessly  as  possible, 
and  surprise  this  camp  by  daylight.  This  latter  movement  was 
certainly  unknown  to  and  unsuspected  by  McClellan,  and  Stone 
himself  distinctly  states  that  it  was  his  own  order — i.  e. ,  it  grew 
out  of  Philbrick's  report.  While  Philbrick's  advance  might 
have  been  within  the  spirit  of  McClellan's  instructions,  Devin's 
was  merely  the  result  of  a  complete  execution  of  the  telegraphic 
direction,  not  in  furtherance  thereto.  That  General  McClellan 
had  no  thought  of  a  battle  being  brought  on  by  any  demonstra- 
tion Stone  should  make,  is  evident  from  the  following  telegram 
received  by  operator  Kerner : 


86  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  TH^ 

Head-quarters  of  General  McClellan,  October  20,  1861. 

Brigadier  General  C.  P.  Stone  : 

If  you  desire  it,  you  are  authorized  to  visit  Washington  for  two 
or  three  days.     Major  Clay  and  family  are  here. 

R.  B.  Marcey,  Chief  of  Staff. 

Because,  also,  October  21,  General  McCalPs  force  was  permitted 
to  return  to  Alexandria.  General  McClellan  did  not  know  of 
the  movement  of  Colonel  Devins  in  time  to  stop  it,  nor  did  he 
question  its  propriety  at  any  time,  as  we  shall  see;  and  General 
Stone  was  sadly  misinformed  about  the  unguarded  camp,  which, 
indeed,  as  we  have  seen,  was  no  camp  at  all.  Cojifederate  Com- 
mander J.  E.  Johnston,  who  outranked  and  superseded  Beaure- 
gard at  the  Bull  Run  fight,  had  been  watching  McClellan  closely, 
understanding  that  he  would  advance  in  force  via  Occoquan  Creek, 
on  the  south,  or  Leesburg  on  the  right,  and  General  Evans,  com- 
manding a  Confederate  brigade  in  Leesburg,  was  doubtless  in- 
structed to  feel  the  Federals  whenever  they  should  cross,  to 
ascertain  if  it  was  a  move  in  force.  Accordingly  Devins  soon 
found  it  necessary  to  retire  to  the  Virginia  bluffs  overlooking 
the  river,  and  fight  the  advancing  enemy.  It  was  a  little 
before  this  that  General  Stone  had  given  Colonel  Baker  the 
iminediate  direction  of  affairs  across  the  river,  with  discre- 
tion to  retire  Devins'  force  and  reinforcements,  or  to  further 
strengthen  the  troops.  McClellan  had  telegraphed  General  Stone, 
on  the  twentieth,  that  McCall  "  occupied  Drainesville  yester- 
day," from  which  point  he  would  ''to-day"  send  out  a  heavy 
reconnoissance  in  all  directions,  and  directed  Stone  to  keep  a 
good  lookout  upon  Leesburg,  ' '  to  see  if  this  movement  has  the 
effect  to  drive  them  away."  The  dispatch  closed,  ^^  Perhaps  a 
slight  demonstration  on  your  part  would  have  the  effect  to  drive 
them.''''  It  was  this  innocent  sentence  that  caused  the  North  to 
bow  (iown  in  sorrow  and  humiliation;  caused  the  death  of  three 
hundred  Federals,  including  that  chivalric  statesman  and  patriot, 
Colonel  E.  D.  Baker,  and  the  loss  of  six  hundred  others. 

It  is  believed  that  Colonel  Baker  determined  to  re-cross  the 
troops,  but  suddenly  cjiangcd  his  mind  on  hearing  that  the  rebels 
were  about  to  attack,  and,  not  to  allow  a  few  brave  men  to  sue- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  87 

cumb  in  full  view  of  an  ample  force,  he  began  crossing  other 
troops  in  a  few  scows  that  were  poled  over.  Seventeen  hundred 
men,  including  Devins'  five  companies  and  two  or  three  useless 
guns,  were  thus  collected  on  the  Virginia  shore.  Devins  was 
driven  back  ;  the  skirmishing  which  began  early  in  the  day,  cul- 
minated in  a  severe  fight  about  three  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  by  five 
the  Federals  were  completely  routed.  Many  of  them  were 
drowned,  and  others  shot,  swimming,  or  otherwise  attempting  to 
escape.  General  Stone  testified  before  the  Committee  that,  if 
Baker  had  obeyed  his  instructions  as  to  position  in  case  he  did 
cross  the  river,  and  had  otherwise  exhibited  good  generalship, 
the  action  would  have  resulted  in  a  ''very  pretty  little  victory;" 
but  as  Colonel  Baker  is  dead.  General  Stone,  whose  evidence,  if 
it  related  to  a  mere  matter  of  contract  inter  partes^  would  be  in- 
admissible, ought  not  to  be  heard  against  Baker's  conduct,  so 
far  as  it  relates  to  verbal  instructions  not  heard  by  others. 

While  the  foregoing  movements  and  action  progressed.  Gen- 
eral Gorman,  by  Stone's  direction,  moved  across,  also  in  scows, 
a  force  of  about  twenty-five  hundred,  at  Edwards  Ferry,  which 
was  to  strike  the  enemy  after  Baker  had  defeated  them.  As  a 
force,  sometimes  less  and  at  others  more  than  twenty-five  hun- 
dred, remained  on  the  Virginia  shore  about  three  days,  liable 
most  of  this  time,  as  was  supposed,  to  be  overpowered  by  the 
enemy,  great  indignation  was  felt  against  General  Stone  for  thus 
exposing  his  troops,  but  Stone,  having  forwarded  news  of  the 
defeat  to  McClellan,  was  retiring  the  Edward's  Ferry  troops  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  when  the  following  telegrams  were  received: 

MoClellan's  Head-quarters,  October  21. 

Brig.  Gen.  C.*P.  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry,  Md.  : 

Is  the  force  of  the  enemy,  now  engaged  with  your  troops  oppo- 
site Harrison's  Island,  large  ?  If  so,  and  you  require  more  support 
than  your  division  affords,  call  upon  General  Banks,  who  has  been 
directed  to  respond.  What  force,  in  your  opinion,  would  it  require 
to  carry  Leesburg  ?  Answer  at  once,  as  T  may  require  you  to  take 
it  to-day,  and,  if  so,  I  will  support  you  from  the  other  side  of  the 
river  from  Dqvnestown.  (Signed)         Geo.  B.  McClellan, 

Maj.  Gen.  Gomdg. 


88  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

Head-quarters  of  Gen.  McClellan,  Oct.  21,  1861. 

To  General  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

What  facility  have  you  for  crossing  the  river  at  Edward's  Ferry, 
and  at  Harrison's  Island  ?  Is  there  any  road  from  Seneca  to  Lees- 
burs:,  and  are  there  any  boats  at  Seneca  ?  Please  direct  several 
mounted  men  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  carry  messages 
from  Poolsville  to  Darnesm7/6.         (Signed)         R.  B.  Marcey, 

Chief  of  Staff, 

McClellan's  Head- quarters,  Oct.  21,  1861. 

To  Brig.  Gen.  C.  P.  Stone  : 

Bremen  in  send  side  division  shall  for  gold  on  you  up  on  take 
to  copper  me  Adams  other  a  need  Camden  brass  call  aid  push  two 
river  messages  lead  cipher  your  of  or  1  whatever  tin. 

(Signed)  G.  B.  McClellan,  Maj.  Gen.  Gomdg. 

To  the  above  Stone  replied  that  the  box  was  received,  but 
had  no  key;  whereupon  the  message  was  transmitted  as  below, 
which  is  a  translation  of  the  cipher,  except  that  the  cipher 
directed  Stone  to  ''  send  your  messages  to  me  in  cipher." 

McClellan's  Head-quarters. 
To  General  Stone  : 

Call  on  Banks  for  whatever  aid  you  need.  Shall  I  push  up  a 
division  or  two  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  ?    TAKE  LEESBURG. 

McClellan,  Maj.  Gen.  Gomdg. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Stone  was  notified  of  McCalPs 
presence  at  Drainesville,  where,  on  the  day  before  (20th)  he  was 
to  send  out  a  "heavy  reconnoissance  in  all  directions."  We 
doubt  not  that  General  McClellan  was  mistaken  as  to  the  fact 
when  he  testified  as  follows  :  Question  by  Mr.  Gooch — "  Do  you 
remember  whether  or  not  you  informed  General  Stone  of  the 
withdrawal  of  Generals  McCall  and  Smith  to  their  former  camp- 
ing grounds  ? "  Answer — "  I  think  I  did."  At  any  rate,  having, 
as  we  believe,  copies  of  every  telegram  received  about  that  time 
by  General  Stone,  we  find  no  message  of  that  purport.  Other 
telegrams  are  as  follows  : 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  89 

Darnestown,  Oct.  21,  1861.     5  o'clock. 
General  Stone  : 

We  send  Hamilton's  brigade  immediately  to  Poolsville. 

(Signed)  N.  P.  Banks. 

Head-quarters  of  Gen.  McClellan, 

October  21,  1861. 
Brig.  Gen.  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

Do  you  learn  any  results  of  the  action. 

(Signed)  Geo.  B.  McClellan,  Maj.  Gen.  Comdg. 

Head-quarters  of  Gen.  McClellan 
October  21,  18^1. 
Brig.  Gen.  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

Is  the  battle  still  progressing,  or  has  it  ceased  ? 

Signed)         Geo.  B.  McClellan,  Maj.  Gen.  Comdg. 

Darnestown,  October  21. 
Brig.  Gen.  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

General  Hamilton's  brigade  has  started  for  you,  to  await  orders 
at  Poolsville.  General  Banks  and  division  are  on  their  way  to 
Seneca,  by  orders  from  Washington. 

(Signed)  R.  Morrison  Copeland,  A.  A.  G, 

Head-quarters  of  Gen.  McClellan,  Oct.  21, 1861. 

Brig.  Gen.  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

Is  the  enemy  in  large  force  before  you  ?    Please  give  full  detail. 
(Signed)  G.  B.  McClellan,  Maj.  Gen.  Comdg. 

Executive  Mansion,  Oct.  21,  1861. 
To  Officer  in  Command  at  Poolsville  : 

Send  a  mounted  messenger  to  the  battle  ground  and  bring  me 
information  from  General  Stone.  I  want  to  know  particulars  as  to 
result  of  engagement,  and  the  relative  positions  of  the  forces  for 
the  night,  their  numbers,  and  such  other  information  as  will  give 
me  a  correct  understanding  of  aifairs.        (Signed)     A.  Lincoln. 


90  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

Head-quarters,  October  21. 
To  General  Stone  : 

Hold  your  position  on  the  Virginia  side  (of)  the  Potomac  at  all 
hazards.  General  Banks  will  support  you  with  one  brigade  at  Har- 
rison's Island,  or  the  other  two  at  Seneca.  Lander  will  be  with  you 
at  daylight.  Change  the  disposition  of  General  Banks,  if  you 
think  it  necessary,  so  as  to  send  two  brigades  to  Harrison's  Island, 
instead  of  one.  (Signed)  G.  B.  McClellan. 

The  above  was  in  reply  to  Stone's  telegram  that  he  was  with- 
drawing his  troops  to  the  Maryland  side. 

McClellan^s  Head-quarters,  Oct.  21. 
To  Gen.  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

Entrench  yourself  on  the  Virginia  side  and  await  re-inforce- 
ments,  if  necessary.  (Signed)  Geo.  B.  McClellan, 

Maj.  Gen,  Comdg. 

McClellan*s  Head-quarters,  Oct.  21. 
To  Gen.  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

I  repeat  to  you,  under  no  circumstances  abandon  the  Virginia 
shore,  but  entrench  yourself.  Hold  your  own,  if  you  can  make 
your  men  fight.     You  will  be  supported  by  General  Banks. 

(Signed)  G.  B.  McClellan,  Maj.  Gen,  Comdg, 

Head-quarters  op  McClellan,  Oct.  21. 
To  General  Stone  : 

As  General  Banks  will  join  you,  his  rank  will  entitle  him  to  the 
command,  and  he  has  been  instructed  accordingly. 

(Signed)  Geo.  B.  McClellan,  Maj.  Gen.  Comdg, 

Head-quarters  of  Gen.  McClellan,  Oct.  21 
Brig.  Gen.  Stone,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

An  advance  from  Drainsville  can  not  be  made  to-morrow  morn- 
ing, so  that  you  must  rely  exclusively  upon  the  support  General 
Banks  can  give  you.  (Signed)  Geo.  B.  McClellan, 

Maj,  Gen,  Cofndg, 


CIVIf.  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  91 

Head-quarters  of  Gen.  McClellan,  {?io  date.) 
To  Gen.  Banks,  Edward's  Ferry  : 

You  will  entrench  your  command  on  the  Virginia  side  of  the 
river,  observe  the  movements  of  the  enemy  closely,  and  report  to 
me  often,  but  make  no  movements  without  first  communicating  with 
me.  Geo.  B.  McClellan,  Maj.  Gen.  Comdg. 

Head-quarters,  Washington,  Oct.  23. 
To  Gen.  McClellan,  Edward's  B^erry  : 

I  have  ordered  Generals  McCall,  Porter  and  Smith  to  be  ready 
to  make  a  movement  on  Drainsville  early  to-morrow  morning.  Have 
also  ordered  reconnoissance  by  Generals  McDowell,  Smith  and 
Franklin  towards  Fairfax  Court  House  and  Anandale.  All  quiet  in 
front.  (Signed)  R.  B.  Marcy. 

Mr.  Lincoln  was  always  keenly  solicitous  upon  occasions  of 
victory  or  defeat.  If  reports  came  to  him,  requiring  the  attention 
of  the  General-in-Chief,  or  if  he  became  apprehensive  of  evil,  or  for 
any  other  cause,  felt  it  important  to  see  that  officer,  he  fre- 
quently went  to  his  quarters  regardless  of  the  time.  One  morn- 
ing when  McClellan's  head-quarters  were  in  Com.  Wilkes'  house, 
on  the  corner  of  I  and  16th  streets,  the  President  called  there  to 
consult  with  the  General,  although  the  hour  was  four,  a.  m.,  and 
it  was  raining  and  dark.  He  came  alone.  Operator  Wilbur  F. 
Holloway  was  on  duty.  Mr.  Eckert  was  awakened  to  escort  the 
President  to  McClellan's  room  overhead.  Perhaps  it  was  this 
knowledge  of  the  President's  anxiety  that  induced  McClellan, 
before  returning  from  Edward's  Ferry  where  he  went  soon  after 
the  Balls  Bluff' affair,  to  telegraph  Mr.  Lincoln  that  no  ''blame 
attached  to  General  Stone.  The  men  fought  nobly,  but  the 
force  was  only  1,800  against  5,000  or  10,000.  General  Stone's 
orders  were  not  carried  out  on  the  right." 


Including  the  lines  already  indicated,  there  were  erected  prior 
to  October  31,  1861,  in  this  department  and  about  Ft.  Monroe, 
280  miles  of  telegraph,  on  which  were  fifty  stations,  worked  by 
eighty-three  operators.  These  offices  were  mostly  open  day  and 
night.  The  total  expense,  from  April  25  to  November  1,  1861, 
was,  gross,  $40,752.23. 


THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 


CHAPTER    IV. 

EARLY  OPERATIONS  IN  WESTERN  VIRGINIA. 

The  day  that  Beauregard's  guns  opened  upon  Fort  Sumter 
(April  12,  1861),  Anson  Stager,  General  Superintendent  of  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Company,  located  at  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
was  telegraphed  by  Governor  Dennison  of  that  State,  to  meet 
him  at  Columbus.  Arriving  there,  he  was  requested  by  the 
Governor  to  undertake  the  management  of  the  telegraphs  in 
Southern  Ohio,  especially  along  the  Virginia  line,  and  to  assist 
Captain  George  B.  McClellan,  who,  it  was  then  understood, 
would  be  the  commanding  officer  of  a  department  which  would 
include  Ohio.  Stacker  consented.  That  was  the  beorinnino^  of 
those  arduous  and  responsible  duties  which  none  could  then  have 
foreseen,  the  able  performance  of  which  made  for  Mr.  Stager  a 
national  reputation  that  he  may  be  justly  proud  of.  He  repaired 
to  Cincinnati  to  consult  with  McClellan,  and  began  preparations 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  that  officer. 

The  principal  towns  and  cities  of  Southern  Ohio  already  en- 
joyed the  advantages  of  the  telegraph.  Communication  by  wire 
and  rail  along  the  route  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  road  was 
intact  from  Parkersburg  and  Wheeling  to  Washington.  This 
road,  from  Baltimore,  reached  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  at 
Point  of  Rocks,  Md.,  sixty-five  miles  from  that  city  and  fifty-one 
by  highway  from  Washington,  and,  following  up  the  river  twelve 
miles,  entered  Harpers  Ferry,  already  historic  in  consequence 
of  John  Brown's  armed  efforts  against  slavery.  Running  thence 
westerly,  nineteen  miles,  it  reached  Martinsburgh,  near  which 
point  is  the  north-easterly  corner  of  West  Virginia,  which,  in 
June,  was  carved  out  of  the  Old  Commonwealth.  Pursuing  its 
course  nineteen  miles  further  to  Cherry  Run,  and  thence  thirteen 
more  miles,  it  once  again  struck  the  Potomac,  which  it  followed 
to  Cumberland,  Md.,  sixty-five  miles.  Rowlesburg,  W.  Va., 
seventy-five  miles  more,  is  twenty-seven  miles  from  Grafton, 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  93 

where  the  road  branches  ;  one  division  leading  northwest  ma  Fair- 
mont to  Wheehng,  one  hundred  miles,  and  the  other  past  Clarks- 
burg and  West  Union  C.  H.,  one  hundred  and  four  miles,  to 
Parkersburg;  both  termini  being  on  the  Ohio  River.  This  wonder- 
ful road,  a  master-piece  of  engineering,  about  395  miles  long, 
passing  some  of  the  grandest  natural  scenery  on  the  continent,  was 
destined  to  play  a  star  part  in  the  great  tragedy  of  war.  The 
wonder  is  that  it  cut  any  figure  at  all,  and  it  is  almost  past  com- 
prehension that  the  air  lines  of  telegraph  along  its  route  were 
permitted  to  stand  a  week  at  a  time  in  the  wilds  they  traversed. 

Captain  George  B.  McClellan  was,  on  the  14th  day  of  May, 
1861,  appointed  Major  General  and  assigned  to  the  command  of 
the  Department  of  the  Ohio,  with  head-quarters  at  Cincinnati. 
His  department  included  Western  Virginia,  Ohio,  Indiana  and 
Illinois,  and,  later,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Stager's  first  written  authority  over  the  telegraph  lines 
for  military  uses,  reads  as  follows  : 

Head-quarters  of  the  Department  of  the  Ohio, 
Cincinnati,  C,  May  27,  1861 
General  Order,  No.  13. 

Mr.  Anson  Stager  is  hereby  appointed  superintendent  for  mili- 
tary purposes  of  all  the  telegraphic  lines  within  the  Department  of 
the  Ohio,  and  his  instructions  will  be  strictly  obeyed. 
By  command  of  Maj.  General  McClellan. 

N.  H.  McLean,  Asst.  Adjt.  Gen. 

Had  there  been  less  patriotism  among  the  telegraph  stock- 
holders, some  discontent  might  have  been  generated,  owing  to 
this  sweeping  authority  ;  but  there  seems  never  to  have  been  any 
trouble  with  any  Northern  telegraph  company,  and  none  to  speak 
of  with  any  other.  It  was  seldom  required  actually  to  possess 
any  telegraph  office  in  the  North.  For  the  most  part,  military 
control  of  private  lines  was  merely  nominal — not  for  want  of 
power  or  authority,  but  because  a  hearty  co-operation  made  un- 
necessary the  exercise  of  an  arbitrary  supervision.  Neverthe- 
less, there  was  no  little  embarrassment  in  Mr.  Stager's  position, 
owing  to  his  being  a  mere  citizen  and  a  superintendent  of  a  pri- 
vate company,  whose  business  antagonized  that  of  the  telegraph 


94  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

companies  in  West  Virginia,  where  McClellan  was  first  to  operate 
and  where  positive  control  of  the  telegraph  was  impending. 

But  there  was  a  stranger  discouragement.  Some  of  General 
McClellan's  staff  officers,  perhaps  thus  early  imbued  with  pangs 
of  jealousy  —  perhaps  sincerely  impressed  with  the  idea,  con- 
ceived the  notion  that  the  telegraph  could  not  be  useful  in  war. 
These  officers  seriously  decried  all  efforts  to  introduce  it ;  but 
General  McClellan  had  great  faith  in  its  ultimate  efficiency,  and 
insisted  upon  fairly  trying  it 

For  some  years  prior  to  the  beginning  of  hostilities,  T.  B.  A. 
David  had  resided  in  Wheeling,  Va.,  and,  when  the  war  began, 
was  manager  of  the  telegraph  office  in  that  city.  About  April 
20,  1861,  Mr.  Stager,  having  advised  David  that  W.  H.  Seward, 
Secretary  of  State,  was  exceedingly  anxious  that  any  information 
touching  the  rebels  encamped  at  Harpers  Ferry,  should  be  com- 
municated to  him,  David  kept  a  sharp>  ear  on  the  line  over  the 
B.  &  O.  R.  R.,  and  in  furtherance  of  his  object,  arranged  a  cipher 
code  with  George  M.  Deetz,  then  and  ever  since,  operator  at 
Cumberland,  Md.  B.  F.  Kelly  took  command  of  the  First  Reg- 
iment of  Virginians  (Union),  at  Wheeling,  May  26,  1861,  and 
seized  the  telegraph  office  there;  whereupon,  Anson  Stager 
appointed  Mr.  David  to  the  charge  of  the  line  of  the  B.  &  O.  R. 
R.  proper,  from  Wheeling  to  Cumberland.  David,  a  zealous 
patriot,  entered  upon  an  untrodden  field ;  but  he  had  an  able 
co-adjutor  in  W.  G.  Fuller.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion, 
Mr.  Fuller  was  superintendent  of  the  telegraph  lines  from  Graf- 
ton, Va. ,  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  which  ran  along  the  B.  &  O.  and 
the  Marietta  &  Cincinnati  railroads. 

In  May,  1861,  the  Confederates,  under  Colonel  Porterfield, 
possessed  themselves  of  Grafton  and  its  telegraph  office.  Colonel 
James  B.  Steedman's  Fourteenth  Ohio  Volunteers  and  Captain 
Barnett's  battery  were  hastened  by  telegraphic  instructions  to 
the  protection  of  Parkersburg. 

Fuller  was  then  summoned  to  meet  Mr.  Stager  at  General 
McClellan's  house  in  Cincinnati  on  the  27th  of  May,  where  he 
was  instructed  in  the  mysteries  of  the  first  army  cipher  ever 
used  telegraphically  in  war,  and  was  also  appointed  to  manage 
the  Government  telegraphs  on  that  branch  of  the  B.  &  O.  R.R. 
which  lies  between  Grafton  and  Parkersburg. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  95 

Let  US  now  follow  Fuller  and  David  in  their  efforts  to  connect 
Wheeling  and  Parkersburg,  via  Grafton.  May  28,  Fuller  and 
Colonel  Lander,  McClellan's  chief-of-staff,  a  regular  army  officer, 
just  from  the  Indian  country,  reached  Parkersburg.  That  night 
was  pitch-dark,  and  Lander,  intent  on  some  kind  of  adventure, 
sought  to  gratify  his  wish  by  frightening  Fuller.  Colonel  J.  B. 
Steedman's  command  had  the  day  before  started  out  on  the  line 
of  the  railroad,  and  Fuller  was  in  the  telegraph  office  watching 
for  dispatches  from  the  advance,  when  firing  was  heard  across 
the  Little  Kanawha,  which,  at  this  point,  enters  the  Ohio.  Soon 
after.  Lander  entered,  and  apparently  much  alarmed,  asked 
Fuller  if  he  was  armed.  Fuller  had  no  arms.  Lander  felt  sure 
they  were  attacked,  and  wanted  some  one  to  go  with  him  to  see 
what  the  firing  meant,  and,  handing  Fuller  a  pistol,  asked  him 
to  follow.  Fuller,  taking  the  weapon,  followed  through  a  long, 
dark  depot  to  the  bridge  and  across  the  river,  when  Lander 
laughingly  remarked  that  Fuller  was  not  badly  frightened, 
and  that  he  merely  wanted  to  try  him.  Thus  was  the  Superin- 
tendent baptized  ^vith  fire,  even  as  Prince  Napoleon  was,  at 
Saarbruck,  only  Fuller  could  not  find  any  little  bullets  to  make 
soldiers  weep  over. 

Many  bridges  and  the  telegraph  being  destroyed,  progress 
toward  Grafton  was  slow,  but  June  18,  the  lines  were  intact  to 
Clarksburg,  and  twentieth,  to  Webster,  where  David  was  met. 
Troops  left  Wheeling  May  27,  Colonel  Kelly  commanding.  The 
bridges  at  Man nington  had  been  burned  by  Bill  Thompson's  forces. 

Keaching  there  at  four,  a.  m.,  next  day,  David  was  ordered 
to  proceed  immediately  to  Fairmont.  Filled  with  apprehensions 
of  danger  he  took  a  squad  of  raw  troops,  and  pushing  on,  soon 
discovered  that  his  greatest  peril  consisted  in  his  green  and 
awkward  defenders,  who  made  him  fearful  of  being  accidentally 
shot.  He  reached  Fairmont  at  nine,  a.  m.,  the  twenty-eighth, 
when  communication  was  opened  through  to  Wheeling. 

A  temporary  bridge  having  been  erected  at  Mannington, 
Colonel  Kelly's  command  arrived  at  Grafton,  May  30  ;  the  rebels 
having  decamped  with  the  telegraph  instruments.  David  then 
took  a  special  train  east  twenty  seven  miles  and  cut  the  line  at 
Rowlesburg,  by  Colonel  Kelly's  order,  and  returned  at  once4o 
Grafton.     General  T.  A.  Morris  soon  arrived  and  assumed  com- 


96  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

mand,  his  force  amounting  to  seven  or  eight  thousand  men.  May 
20,  David  was  ordered  west  to  meet  Fuller's  party,  already  long 
overdue.  Taking  desperate  if  not  foolhardy  chances,  he  boarded 
an  engine,  and,  going  in  the  face  of  trains  known  to  be  some- 
where on  the  road,  which  is  very  sinuous,  he  pushed  ahead, 
around  sharp  curves,  through  tunnels,  one  of  which  was  nearly 
a  mile  long,  until,  fortunately,  without  accident,  he  met  Fuller 
at  Webster,  and  communication  was  fully  re-established. 

David  had  taken  the  precaution  to  procure,  at  Wheeling,  the 
form  of  an  oath  to  be  administered  to  operators  along  the  line, 
who  accepted  service  in  the  Telegraph  Corps.  The  following  is 
copied  from  an  original : 

You  do  each  and  all  swear  to  be  true  and  faithful  to  the  United 
States  of  America;  that  you  will  faithfully  transmit  all  orders  and 
information  touching  the  military  operations  of  the  United  States 
of  America  truthfully,  and,  further,  not  to  transmit  any  information, 
directly  or  indirectly,  to  the  Confederate  States,  or  any  representa- 
tive or  individual  of  said  States,  and  in  no  wise  prevaricate  any 
information  touching  the  military  operations  of  the  Unitfcd  States 
of  America.  Jas.  G.  Nesbitt, 

Sworn  and  subscribed  before  me,  j  Geo.  M.  D:^etz, 

this  10th  day  of  June,  1861.  >•  Feank  Miller, 

O.  H.  W.  Stull,  J.  P.  )  P.  A.  Stidham. 

It  soon  became  customary  at  Fairmont  to  make  every  one 
in  that  neighborhood,  suspected  of  disloyalty,  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance,  and  David  having  taken  several  operators  before  the 
Justice  there,  to  make  oath  as  above,  that  judicial  innocent 
caused  all  suspected  residents  to  subscribe  and  swear  to  the  teleg- 
raphers' oath. 

Colonel  Porterfield  (Confederate)  on  quitting  Grafton  at 
Kelly's  approach,  fell  back  to  Phiilippi,  fifteen  miles  south 
of  Grafton  and  about  eleven  miles  from  Webster,  the  near- 
est telegraph  point.  General  McClellan  having  ordered  the  sur- 
prise and  capture  of  Porterfield's  forces,  variously  stated  as  num- 
bering from  eight  hundred  to  two  thousand.  Colonel  Kelly  took 
a  route  twenty-two  miles  long,  leading  south-westerly  into  Phii- 
lippi, and  was  to  gain  Porterfield's  rear,  while  Colonel  Dumont, 
accompanied  by  Lander,  approached  (June  3)  Phiilippi  with  his 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  97 

forces  in  front.  Dumont  was  a  little  too  quick,  but  the  enemy 
was  considerably  punished,  especially  by  Kelly's  troops,  who 
struck  them  in  retreat.  About  this  time  Mr.  Stager  arrived  and 
proved  an  inspiration  to  the  service.  Under  Fuller  and  David, 
the  telegraph  was  extended  from  Webster  to  Phlllippi,  but  was 
soon  abandoned. 

June  8,  Colonel  Lew.  Wallace  and  his  brave  regiment  of  In- 
dianians  reached  Grafton,  en  route  for  Cumberland,  Md.  On  the 
eleventh  they  attacked  the  enemy  at  Komney,  said  to  be  about 
twelve  hundred  strong,  driving  them  sixteen  miles,  and  then 
retired  to  Cumberland,  and  encamped.  Cumberland  was  now  in 
telegi-aphic  communication  with  Grafton,  and  so  remained  until 
June  20,  when  the  enemy,  four  thousand  strong,  entered  Pied- 
mont, on  the  B.  &  O.  R.R.,  after  which  for  some  weeks  Cum- 
berland was  isolated  from  the  telegraphic  world. 

After  the  battle  of  Phillippi,  McClellan  was  busy  until  July 
10,  preparing  to  advance  south  from  the  railroad,  and  Stager  was 
actively  engaged  concentrating  supplies  for  Fuller  and  David, 
who  were  organizing  building  parties  to  undertake  a  novel 
experiment — that  of  following  an  army  with  the  electric  tele- 
graph. Owing  to  the  disparaging  remarks  of  regular  army  oflS- 
cers  ;  to  the  dangers  incident  to  the  undertaking  ;  to  the  military 
importance  of  success,  and  the  difficult  roads,  Mr.  Stager  and 
his  assistants  justly  felt  that  they  were  shouldering  grave  respon- 
sibilities, which  nothing  short  of  a  successful  demonstration 
could  lighten.  Porterfield  had  been  superseded  by  General  Gar- 
nett,  who  made  his  head-quarters  at  Beverly,  fifty-eight  miles 
south-east  of  Clarksburg.  His  troops,  numbering  about  ten 
thousand,  were  posted,  mainly  under  Gamett's  personal  supervi- 
sion, on  Laurel  Hill,  a  little  out  of  Beverly  on  the  Phillippi 
road,  and  the  remainder,  except  small  outlying  detachments, 
under  Colonel  Pegram,  on  Rich  Mountain,  within  easy  support 
— say  three  miles  from  Garnett's  position.  At  this  time  (July  4) 
McClellan  had  between  twenty  thousand  and  thirty  thousand 
men  under  him.  On  the  23d  of  June,  he  took  command  in 
person  at  Grafton.  Detaching  a  force  under  General  J.  D.  Cox, 
to  watch  General  Wise  in  the  Kanawha  Valley,  McClellan 
advanced,  early  in  July,  from  Clarksburg  ma  Buckhannon,  with 
the  main  body,  and  the  first  field  telegraph  that  ever  advanced 

7 


98  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

with  an  army,  in  America,  kept  pace  with  this  one.  For  the 
first  fifteen  miles  or  so,  the  builders,  being  troops  detailed  for 
that  purpose,  were  under  Mr.  Fuller's  direction  and  subsequent- 
ly, until  Beverly  and  Huttonville  were  reached,  under  Mr.  David. 
Buckhannon,  twenty-eight  miles,  was  reached  on  the  fifth. 

At  this  po?ht  the  telegraph  service  was  highly  complimented 
by  General  McClellan's  staff"— notably  by  Captains  Saxton,  Chief 
Quarter-master,  and  McFeeley,  Chief  Commissary,  who  openly 
declared  that,  but  for  the  telegraph,  the  army  would  have  been 
delayed  many  days  at  Buckhannon.  This  well-earned  acknowl- 
edgement was  a  triurnph  in  itself. 

Leaving  Buckhannon  July  8,  the  telegraph  men  kept  close  up 
with  the  army,  reaching  a  point  within  two  miles  of  Rich  Moun- 
tain on  the  ninth.  The  battle  of  Rich  Mountain  was  fought  on  the 
eleventh.  David  had  just  reached  the  fortifications  the  defeated 
enemy  had  occupied  the  day  before,  and  opened  an  oflSce,  when 
a  Confederate  prisoner  marching  by  noticed  the  office  and  ex- 
claimed to  his  comrade,  "  My  God,  Jim,  here's  the  telegraph  !  " 
Garnett  and  Pegram,  now  in  full  retreat,  abandoning  cannon, 
tents,  camps  and  wagons,  sought  to  reach  Beverly  before  McClel- 
lan  could  intercept  their  line  of  retreat  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
by  the  road  to  Staunton,  but  in  this  they  were  too  late.  Garnett 
turned  northwardly,  but  was  overtaken  and  killed  at  Carrick's 
Ford.     Most  of  his  command  escaped  to  the  mountains. 

An  office  was  opened  at  General  McClellan's  head-quarters  at 
Beverly,  on  the  fifteenth,  and  the  line  continued  as  far  as  Hut- 
tonville, when  operator  J.  L.  Cherry  arrived  to  assist  E.  B.  Bry- 
ant, at  McClellan's.  Bryant  extended  the  line  to  the  top  of 
Cheat  Mountain,  where  he  remained  with  the  troops  until  the 
following  Spring,  when,  crippled  by  rheumatism  contracted  from 
great  exposure  in  the  service,  he  was  obliged  to  go  home. 

McClellan's  troops  having  won  the  first  real  victory  of  the 
war,  the  Northern  people  were  greatly  elated  by  his  telegram, 
dated  the  thirteenth,  wherein  he  reported  his  successes.  He  also 
issued  a  congratulatory  order  to  the  troops,  which  was  probably 
the  first  order  ever  printed  in  a  portable  printing  office,  regularly 
connected  with  an  army  on  a  campaign. 

While  J.  L.  Cherry  worked  nights  in  a  railroad  office  in 
Cleveland,  Mr.  Stager  noticed  that  the  operator,  to  occupy  use- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  99 

fully  many  tedious  hours,  busied  himself  at  his  font  and  press. 
Stager,  pleased  by  such  industry,  recommended  Cherry  to  Mc- 
Clellan,  as  doubly  useful,  i.  e.^  as  operator  and  printer.  Mc- 
Clellan  caused  the  Government  to  buy  the  type  and  press,  and 
Cherry  was  duly  installed  in  head-quarters'  office,  where  he 
served  with  distinction  as  telegrapher  and  typo.  The  second 
order  thus  printed  antedates  the  first.     They  are  as  follows  : 

Head-quaeters  Army  op  Occupation,  Western  Virginia. 

Beverly,  Va.,  July  16,  1861. 

Soldiers  of  the  Army  op  the  West  : 

I  am  more  than  satisfied  with  you.  You  have  annihilated  two 
armies,  commanded  by  educated  and  experienced  soldiers,  en- 
trenched in  mountain  fastnesses,  fortified  at  their  leisure.  You  have 
taken  five  guns,  twelve  colors,  fifteen  hundred  stand  of  arms,  one 
thousand  prisoners,  including  more  than  forty  officers.  One  of  the 
two  commanders  of  the  rebels  is  a  prisoner;  the  other  lost  his  life 
on  the  field  of  battle. 

You  have  killed  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  enemy, 
who  has  lost  all  his  baggage  and  camp  equipage.  All  has  been  ac- 
complished with  the  loss  of  twenty  brave  men  killed  and  sixty 
wounded,  on  your  part.  You  have  proved  that  Union  men,  fighting 
for  the  preservation  of  our  Government,  are  more  than  a  match  for 
our  misguided  and  erring  brethren;  more  than  this,  you  have  shown 
mercy  to  the  vanquished.  You  have  made  long  and  arduous  marches, 
often  with  insufficient  food,  frequently  exposed  to  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather.  I  have  not  hesitated  to  demand  this  of  you,  feeling 
that  I  could  rely  on  your  endurance,  patriotism  and  courage.  In 
the  future,  I  may  have  still  greater  demands  to  make  upon  you — 
still  greater  sacrifices  for  you  to  offer.  It  shall  be  my  care  to  pro- 
vide for  you  to  the  extent  of  my  ability ;  but  I  know  now  that  by 
your  valor  and  endurance  you  will  accomplish  all  that  is  asked. 
Soldiers  !  I  have  confidence  in  you,  and  I  trust  you  have  learned  to 
confide  in  me.  Remember  that  discipline  and  subordination  are 
qualities  of  equal  value  with  courage. 

I  am  proud  to  say  you  have  gained  the  highest  reward  that 
American  troops  can  receive — the  thanks  of  Congress  and  the 
applause  of  your  fellow  citizens.  Geo.  B.  McClellan, 

Maj.  Gen.  U.  S.  A.,  Comdg, 


I 


100  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

Head-quarters,  Army  op  Occupation,  Western  Virginia. 
HuTTONviLLE,  Va.,  July  15,  1861. 
General  Orders,  No.  1. 

The  Commanding  General  has  experienced  much  embarrassment 
during  the  progress  of  this  campaign,  from  the  want  of  early  in- 
formation regarding  the  movements  of  distant  detachments  within 
his  command. 

The  success  of  the  operations  of  the  main  column  are  in  a  great 
degree  intimately  connected  with,  and  dependent  upon  the  subor- 
dinate auxiliary  detachments;  and  unless  the  Commanding  General 
is  kept  constantly  advised  of  the  exact  condition  of  those  com- 
mands, the  service  must  suffer. 

In  view  of  this,  it  is  directed  that  all  commanders  of  detach- 
ments and  posts  in  Western  Virginia  make  daily  reports  to  these 
head-quarters,  showing  the  true  state  of  their  commands,  all  move- 
ments of  the  enemy  and  such  other  information  as  it  may  be  im- 
portant for  the  Commarjding  General  to  know. 

These  daily  reports  will  be  forwarded  by  the  most  expeditious 
methods  of  communication. 

By  order  of  Major  General  McClellan.  S.  Williams, 

Asst.  Adjt.  Gen, 

General  Cox,  who  left  Guyandotte,  on  the  Ohio,  succeeded 
only  in  pushing  back  the  enemy,  and  now  McClellan,  intent  on 
intercepting  the  Confederates  near  Gauley  Bridge,  directed 
David  to  return  to  Buckhannon  and  construct  a  line  therefrom, 
westerly,  to  Weston,  twenty-four  miles,  and  also  to  establish  a 
supply  depot,  preparatory  to  following  the  army.  However,  on 
the  20th  of  July,  McClellan  heard  of  McDowell's  move- 
ment, and  decided  to  await  results.  On  the  twenty -first, 
General  Scott  telegraphed  him  to  prepare  to  move  against 
Beauregard,  who  was  retreating,  and  a  change  of  plans  resulted; 
but  the  next  day  Scott  notified  McClellan  by  telegraph  of 
McDowell's  defeat,  nearly  in  these  words  :  "We  have  been 
badly  beaten.  Our  army  is  in  full  retreat — a  most  wonderful 
transformation  of  a  well-appointed  army  into  a  rabble" — and 
ordered  him  to  Washington  immediately. 

This  left  further  arrangements  to  General  Rosecrans,  the  hero 
of  Rich  Mountain.  These  changes,  coming  rapidly,  one  after  an- 
other, caused  much  comment  among  high  officers  in  W^est  Vir- 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE  UNITED   STATES.  101 

ginia,  who  gave  great  credit  to  the  telegraph  which  made  them 
possible.  David,  on  the  twenty-third,  was  given  the  manage- 
ment of  all  lines  in  West  Virginia,  and  Fuller  took  charge  of  all 
construction  matters.  The  country,  as  far  on  the  Summerville 
road  as  Weston,  being  within  the  Union  lines,  Rosecrans,  who 
had  returned  to  Clarkesburg  with  the  main  portions  of  his  army, 
leaving  only  sufficient  force  on  the  line  to  Cheat  Mountain 
to  protect  it,  on  the  26th  of  July,  directed  that  the  tele- 
graph be  constructed  to  Weston,  and  that  it  follow  the  army, 
moving  along  that  route  via  Sutton  and  Bulltown  to  Summerville 
and  beyond.  The  General  hoped  to  intercept  and  capture  the 
enemy  who  were  operating  in  two  divisions,  under  Floyd  and 
Wise  respectively,  along  the  Kanawha. 

The  country  south  of  Weston  was  jnfested  with  guerrillas, 
and  Fuller  was  notified  by  them  at  Weston  that  if  he  proceeded 
farther  with  the  line,  he  and  his  men  would  be  shot,  from  the 
rocky  hills  and  mountains  along  the  road.  This  caused  him  to 
call  on  Rosecrans  for  an  escort,  and  Captain  Theophilus  Gaines, 
with  his  company  of  the  Fifth  Ohio  Infantry,  was  detailed  to 
flank  the  road  as  the  builders  proceeded.  At  Weston,  Fuller 
received  from  a  Federal  captain,  scouting  in  Gilmer  County,  a 
little  to  the  west,  a  message  for  Rosecrans,  which  was  the  first 
dispatch  of  military  importance  sent  over  this  line.  It  stated  that 
the  captain  had  ascertained  that  the  enemy  had  received  arms, 
and  were  marching  in  large  numbers  to  surround  and  capture 
his  force;  but  that  he  was  entrenching  on  a  hill-top  and  would 
hold  out  until  aid  came.     In  a  moment  this  reply  came  back. 

Sir  :  You  were  sent  into  the  field  to  become  a  terror  to  the 
enemy,  and  not  to  be  terrified  by  them.    March  out  of  that  entrench- 
ment and  disperse  those  rebels,  and  report  at  these  head-quarters. 
(Signed)  W.  S.  Rosecrans, -Sny.  Gen.  Comdg. 

August  13,  near  Imboden's,  Fuller  was  telegraphed  :  ''  Pro- 
ceed with  line  cautiously.  Tell  Captain  Gaines  to  scout  well  in 
front  until  you  arrive  at  Bulltown. "  At  Bulltown  he  was  halted  to 
await  the  arrival  of  troops  and  to  forward  dispatches  to  Colonel 
Smith,  who,  it  would  seem,  was  somewhere  in  advance.  While 
he  was  here,  about  a  mile  of  the  line  near  Imboden's  was  carried 


102  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

away.  Imboden  was  the  father  of  the  Confederate  general  of 
that  name.  Captain  Gaines  and  Mr.  Fuller  questioned  Imboden 
about  the  wire,  but  he  professed  innocence.  He  was  given  until 
ten  A.  M. ,  the  next  morning  to  return  the  wire,  as  otherwise,  he 
was  told,  his  house  would  be  destroyed  and  he  shot  if  found,  and 
further,  that  there  would  be  no  houses  or  inhabitants  left  in  that 
neio^hborhood  if  the  line  was  interfered  with.  Next  mornino^ 
the  wire  was  easily  found  near  by  and  not  again  disturbed  in  that 
vicinity. 

Sutton  was  reached  on  the  twenty-eighth.  The  telegraph  party 
awaited  the  arrival  of  General  Rosecrans,  who  left  Clarksburg 
August  31,  E.  O.  Brown,  a  discharged  three  months  soldier, 
and  J.  L.  Cherry  accompanying  him.  At  Sutton,  Rosecrans  re- 
quested Cherry  to  remain  a  few  days,  but  his  stay  proved  quite 
permanent.  A  Mr.  Brown,  commonly  called  Colonel,  operated 
at  BuUtown  and  became  a  terror  to  the  people  in  that  section, 
although  he  never  hurt  any  one.  His  frequent  and  dextrous 
handling  of  a  harmless  revolver  awed  the  natives.  One  day,  six 
or  eight  bushwhackers  captured  the  Colonel  and  required  him  to 
take  an  oath  to  support  the  Southern  Confederacy  until  ex- 
changed. Brown,  by  way  of  compromise,  tendered  his  pocket- 
book,  containing  all  his  worldly  goods,  viz. :  a  collar-button  and 
a  little  poem  on  Cupid,  but  a  few  squirrel  rifles  aimed  at  his  head 
made  him  change  the  proposition  to  ''  Well  boys,  I  can  not  buck 
against  such  forcible  arguments  as  those  ;  I  will  take  the  oath, 
but  I  tell  you  candidly  that  I  can  not  support  myself,  much  less 
such  a  needy  concern  as  the  Confederacy. "  The  Colonel  some- 
how saved  his  instrument,  which  he  continued  to  operate. 

Fuller  and  Gaines,  pushing  on  towards  Summerville,  were 
preceded  by  the  advance,  consisting  of  but  two  companies. 
These  having  halted  nine  miles  from  Sutton,  refused  to  proceed, 
and  Gaines  with  his  company  only,  scouted  the  road  until  near 
Big  Birch  River  ford,  when  Fuller  was  informed  that  the  enemy 
were  just  ahead,  and  that  their  pickets  had  left  the  place  where 
Fuller  then  was,  but  two  hours  before.  Thereupon,  connecting 
his  instrument.  Fuller  telegraphed  the  facts  and  also  that  the  two 
companies  had  refused  to  proceed.  He  received  the  following 
reply  :  "  Keep  your  teams  hitched  ready  to  fall  back  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice,  and  await  orders. "     Then  the  line  was  cut  in  the 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  103 

rear,  and  Captain  Gaines  and  Fuller,  while  watching  the  enemy 
down  the  mountains,  disposed  their  men  for  the  best  defense 
possible.  Some  of  the  men  wanted  to  fire  on  the  enemy,  but  it 
was  deemed  imprudent.  The  next  noon,  Rosecrans  dined  there 
with  Fuller  and  Gaines. 

This  place  is  by  road  about  sixteen  miles  from  Sutton.  Ow- 
ing to  the  narrow  defiles  in  the  road,  the  telegraph  party  was 
delayed  for  troops  to  pass  to  the  battle  then  impending,  and 
when  it  occurred  (September  10),  the  telegraph  was  only  four 
miles  in  the  rear.  Wise  had  retreated  to  Lewisburg,  leaving  the 
country  to  Cox,  but  Wise's  command  being  re-inforced  and  him- 
self outranked  by  General  Floyd,  the  Confederates  took  the  of- 
fensive, striking  a  Federal  regiment  at  Cross  Lanes  near  Sum- 
merville.  Floyd  moved  southerly  to  Carnifax  Ferry,  hoping  to 
beat  Cox,  who  was  farther  south,  but  now  Rosecrans,  with  about 
nine  thousand  troops,  fell  upon  Floyd's  forces,  numbering,  ac- 
cording to  Confederate  authority,  about  three  thousand,  who  gal- 
lantly held  the  Federals  at  bay  until  dark,  when  they  efiected 
their  escape  from  Rosecrans'  troops  on  the  one  side  and  Cox's 
on  the  other.  In  these  movements.  Wise,  jealous  of  Floyd,  had 
kept  aloof,  notwithstanding  Floyd's  orders.  The  Confederates 
now  retreated  to  Meadow  Blufis  beyond  Big  Sewell  Mountain, 
say  thirty-five  miles,  and  thus  in  about  three  months  from  the 
first  essay  ofi*  the  line  of  the  railroad,  the  Union  forces  had  re- 
gained nearly  all  of  Western  Virginia  west  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains,  and  lines  were  extended  from  Carnifax  to  Gauley 
Bridge  and  Princeton  on  the  south,  and  then  north-westerly 
from  Gauley  Bridge  via  Charleston,  West  Virginia,  to  Gallipolis 
and  Hamden,  Ohio. 

William  Patterson,  operator,  entered  the  United  States  Mili- 
tary Telegraph  service  at  Clarksburg  in  June,  1861,  and  started 
south  with  Fuller's  building  party,  rendering,  as  he  always  did, 
very  great  aid.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  within  six  miles  of 
Big  Sewell  Mountain.  Rosecrans  soon  falling  back  to  Camp 
Tompkins  near  Gauley  Bridge,  this  advance  line  was  taken  down 
and  Patterson  was  then  located  in  head-quarters  office  a  while.  He 
next  opened  an  office  on  the  Summerville  pike,  thirty  miles  from 
Gauley  Bridge,  in  a  fence  corner,  where  he  did  valuable  service 


104  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

for  two  days  and  nights,  when  he  returned  to  head-quarters  and 
soon  after  opened  an  office  at  Charleston. 

Among  the  unfortunates  in  this  region  ' '  of  rocks  and  rills, 
woods  and  templed  hills,"  was  M.  H.  Kerner,  who  had  had  one 
experience  with  the  Disunionists  and  was  booked  for  another. 
When  hostilities  began,  Kerner  was  operator  on  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  Railroad  at  Martinsburg,  West  Virginia.  As  soon  as 
the  Secessionists  began  organizing  troops  thereabouts,  Colonel 
Nadenbush,  of  the  Berkely  Guards,  urged  Kerner  to  join  his 
command,  but,  being  a  Unionist,  he  refused  and  was  in  conse- 
quence imprisoned.  Through  the  instrumentality  of  Belle 
Boyd,  who  subsequently  became  notorious  as  a  Confederate  spy, 
and  a  pretty  daughter  of  Colonel  Israel  Robinson,  Kerner  was 
released  on  condition  that  he  return  to  his  office  and  telegraph 
for  the  Confederates,  but  nothing  was  said  as  to  how  long  he 
should  so  serve  and  it  was  not  long  before,  with  a  friend,  he  es- 
caped to  Sir  John's  Run,  where  he  crossed  the  Potomac  and 
walked  thence  to  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  and  then  entered  ser- 
vice under  Gilmore,  as  we  have  seen.  After  telegraphing  at 
Gauley  Bridge  a  few  weeks,  in  May,  1862,  Kerner  ^went  unat- 
tended some  thirty  miles  to  the  Summerville  office,  the  Gauley 
operators  assuring  him  very  confidentially  that  he  would  go 
North  by  a  longer  route,  and  so  it  proved. 

July  26,  about  five  hundred  of  Jackson's  Confederate  cavalry, 
under  Major  Bailey,  made  a  dash  upon  Summerville.  Of  the  few 
Federal  soldiers  there,  after  a  little  skirmish,  about  sixty  were 
captured  and  with  them  young  Kerner  and  a  Doctor  Rucker,  for 
whose  capture  the  rebels  had  offered  a  thousand  dollars  reward. 
Kerner  and  Rucker  were  in  citizen's  dress.  A  guard  was  sta- 
tioned at  the  entrance  of  the  telegraph  office  where  Kerner  was. 
The  wire  was  cut  on  both  sides,  and  while  the  excitement  was  at 
its  height,  Kerner  wrapped  his  instrument  in  an  army  blanket 
and  rushed  out,  passing  the  guards  with  the  remark  that  the 
Yankees  had  held  him  prisoner  with  a  girl,  Nancy  Hart,  of 
whom  hereafter.  He  ran  rapidly  down  the  road  towards  the 
Gauley,  hoping  to  reach  the  break  in  the  wire  and  telegraph  the 
nearest  commanding  officer  the  situation  at  Summerville.  But 
the  ruse  was  discovered,  and  four  mounted  men,  armed  with 
carbines,  persuaded  the  boy  to  return  with  them.     To  this  day, 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  105 

it  is  his  opinion  that  they  were  the  most  excited  quartette  he 
ever  saw.  Cursing  and  threatening  until  the  young  man 
thought  his  last  hour  had  come,  they  forced  him  back.  Ar- 
riving at  the  office,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Starr  and  Captain  Davis, 
Doctor  Rucker  and  the  captured  soldiers  were  seen  in  line  for 
marching  into  Dixie.  Major  Bailey  told  Kerner  that  he  had  to 
thank  Nancy  Hart  for  his  life,  as  he  had  determined  on  shooting 

him  for  the  "  d d  "  lies  he  told  to  get  through  the  guard  with 

that  infernal  telegraph  machine;  adding,  "  We  were  too  quick 

for  your  d d  Yankee  trick."     Judging  from  his  subsequent 

treatment,  Kerner  thought  Bailey  might  have  executed  his  pur- 
pose. 

Nancy  Hart  had  been  guiding  guerrilla  bands  over  mountain 
passes  in  West  Virginia,  and  informing  them  of  Federal  move- 
ments. Colonel  Starr,  after  many  efforts,  finally  succeeded, 
about  the  10th  of  July,  in  capturing  her  while  sitting  in  front  of 
a  log  hut,  grinding  corn  between  two  big  stones.  She  had  with  her 
two  beautiful  fawns,  which  sh6  had  captured,  and  which  were 
brought  with  her  to  Summerville  where  she  was  placed  in  the 
county  jail,  which  was  in  a  dilapidated  and  filthy  condition. 
Nancy  herself  was  none  too  clean,  and  her  clothing,  what  was 
left  of  it,  was  very  ancient,  and  too  stiff  and  fragile  to  bear 
washing.  These  things  touched  Kerner's  gallantry,  and,  on  his 
intercession  with  Starr,  a  room  was  arranged  for  her  in  the 
head-quarters  building  in  which  was  also  the  telegraph  office. 
Thanks  to  Kerner's  generosity,  for  he  furnished  her  with  calico, 
needles,  thread  and  probably  Butterick's  patterns,  she  made 
herself  a  becoming  garment,  when,  wishing  to  show  her  thankful- 
ness, she  asked  Kerner  what  present  she  should  make  him.  An 
itinerant  ambrotypist  chanced  to  be  there,  so  it  was  agreed,  at 
Kerner's  suggestion,  that  she  should  give  him  her  picture.  He 
put  Colonel  Starr's  black  plume  on  his  Derby  hat  for  her,  when 
she  accompanied  him,  under  guard  of  two  soldiers,  to  the  port- 
able gallery,  where  she  sat  for  the  first  time  before  a  camera. 
As  soon  as  she  saw  it  was  fairly  aimed  at  her,  with  great  trepi- 
dation, she  said  :  "If  you  are  going  to  kill  me,  for  God's  sake, 
tell  me  so. "  Kerner  was  obliged  to  sit  first,  to  satisfy  her  it  was 
not  some  Yankee  infernal  machine.     Her  picture  and  a  lock  of 


106  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

her  hair  in  Kerner's  parlor  are  frequent  reminders  of  his  narrow 
escape  from  Bailey's  deadly  purpose. 

After  a  long  march,  Kerner  reached  Christiansburg  and  took 
cars  for  Lynchburg,  where  he  found  Frank  Drummond  and  his 
comrades,  recently  taken  near  Winchester,  all  of  whom,  with 
Kerner,  were  soon  removed  to  Belle  Isle,  and  then  to  Libby 
Prison,  where  some  one  told  them  they  were  hostages  for  a 
Southern  operator  captured  by  the  Unionists,  and  condemned  to 
death.  There  was  no  truth  in  the  report,  but  when  the  boys' 
names  were  called  in  September,  they  feared  the  worst  until  they 
found  it  was  the  best ;  that,  indeed,  all  were  to  be  exchanged. 
On  reaching  Washington  at  night,  the  St.  James  Hotel  people 
refused  them  lodgings,  as  they  looked  too  seedy  ;  but  Colonel 
Stager,  regardless  of  time  or  pay-rolls,  at  once  furnished  sufficient 
funds.  For  want  of  legislation,  it  is  said  that  none  of  these  cap- 
tured operators  ever  received  a  farthing  for  the  time  they  were 
in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  The  first  case  in  which  the  Govern- 
ment concluded  to  pay  such  claims,  was  that  of  George  M. 
Brush,  who  was  captured  in  the  West,  as  we  shall  see,  in  the 
fall  of  1863. 

Shortly  after  the  battle  of  Carnifax  Ferry,  Mr.  Fuller,  ac- 
companied by  a  Lieutenant  Wheeler,  of  the  regular  army,  took 
horse  for  Clarksburg.  The  first  night  out,  they  lodged  in  an 
Irishman's  shanty,  having  full  confidence  in  the  family,  as  the 
host  had  helped  Fuller's  builders.  The  guests'  little  room  had 
one  small  square  window.  In  an  ominous  hour  of  the  morning, 
the  travelers  were  aroused  by  strange  noises.  "We  are  be- 
trayed," whispered  the  lieutenant.  They  hurriedly  dressed,  and 
looking  out  at  the  window,  it  being  moonlight,  discovered  a  man 
moving  about  the  stable  where  their  horses  were.  The  growling 
dog  moved  about  the  premises,  but  the  whisperings  within  the 
cabin  were  even  more  terrifying,  as  not  a  word  could  be  distin- 
guished. It  was  a  lonely  hour  and  a  lonesome  place  ;  but  there 
was  no  escape.  So,  determining  to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as 
possible,  they  commenced  their  defense  against  the  guerrillas  by 
barricading  their  door,  and  standing  guard  at  the  window.  An 
hour  passed  by,  and  yet  the  attack  had  not  begun.  Evidently 
the  marauders  were  awaiting  the  dawn  of  day,  and  when  it  came 
the  man  at  the  barn  was  seen  more  clearly  ^  but  he  was  feeding 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE  UNITED   STATES.  107 

the  horses,  and  the  women,  their  hands  already  stained  with 
blood,  were  dressing  chickens.  In  fact,  the  household  was,  as 
quietly  as  possible,  preparing  for  the  early  breakfast,  as  requested 
the  night  before,  and  the  dog  had  only  been  baying  at  the  moon. 
A  few  miles  further  on  the  road,  however,  they  discovered  the 
dead  body  of  a  soldier  who  was  shot  by  one  of  the  mountain 
pirates. 

Besides  the  operators  mentioned,  there  were,  in  October,  1861, 
engaged  in  this  department,. the  following :  J.  K.  Brown,  G.  K. 
Smith,  S.  G.  Lynch,  J.  B.  Pierce,  C.  H.  Johns,  M.  C.  Bald- 
win, Philip  Bruner,  S.  M.  Shurr,  C.  D.  TuU  and  George  W. 
Printz.  The  last  named  operator,  it  is  believed,  left  Zanesville, 
(Ohio)  office  in  the  summer  of  1857,  and  obtained  employment 
on  Mr.  Fuller's  lines,  entering  the  military  service  July  19,  1861, 
and  operating  the  Beverly  office  from  November  8,  of  that  year, 
to  the  September  following.  So  far  as  the  author,  by  careful 
scrutiny  into  the  conduct  of  the  operators  for  the  Government 
during  the  war,  has  been  able  to  ascertain,  and  he  believes  he 
speaks  advisedly,  Printz  was  the  only  m^n  in  the  service,  who, 
disregarding  his  duty  to  his  Government,  his  oath  and  his  trust, 
resigned  his  situation,  and,  under  the  inspiration  of  what  George 
Stephenson  has  called  "the  mightiest  power  under  heaven," 
secretly  passed  the  Federal  lines  to  the  Confederates.  It  is  not 
known,  however,  that  he  ever  advised  the  enemies  of  the  Union 
of  any  information  obtained  from  the  Union  wires.  If  an  ex- 
ception be  necessary  to  establish  the  rule  of  fidelity  among  the 
operators,  perhaps  a  more  harmless  example  could  not  be  wished 
than  is  found  in  this  fellow,  who  has  since  had  occasion  to  seek 
a  livelihood  in  other  employments. 


108  THE  MELITAEY  TELEGKAPH  DURING   THE 


CHAPTEE    V. 

THE  SOUTHWEST  EARLY  IN  THE  WAR. 

June  18,  1861,  General  McClellan  received  orders  extending 
his  command  so  as  to  include  Missouri,  then  under  General 
Lyon.  This  gave  him  Missouri,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio  and 
Western  Virginia..  Virginia  and  Missouri,  like  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee,  divided  in  opinion,  were  threatened  with  internecine 
strife,  while  the  three  great  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois 
were  vigorously  preparing  to  strengthen  McClellan,  that  he 
might  successfully  grapple  with  giant  revolt.  McClellan,  as 
shown,  was  about  to  enter  upon  an  active  campaign  in  the  field, 
personally  maneuvering  a  large  army  against  the  enemy,  near 
Beverly,  W.  Va.  Constant  communication  by  telegraph  with 
the  commanders  in  Missouri,  alone  enabled  him  to  attend  to  the 
military  requirements  of  that  State.  It  kept  his  several  armies 
in  full  view,  and  provided  lightning  couriers  to  transmit  his 
orders.  Truly,  "  what  hath  God  wrought,"  through  Morse,  that 
by  the  instrumentality  of  his  invention  St.  Louis  should  be 
nearer  Grafton  than,  in  1776,  New  York  was  to  Philadelphia. 

We  have  seen  who  were  the  trusted  telegraphers  in  West 
Virginia.  Now  let  us  look  westward,  and,  in  the  course  of 
events,  note  who  at  the  Missouri  end  enjoyed  the  inspiring  con- 
fidence of  the  military  officials  ;  for  let  it  always  be  borne  in 
mind,  that  few  men  ever  had  greater  opportunities  to  betray  a 
cause  than  the  telegraph  operators,  whether  in  the  Federal  or 
Confederate  service. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities,  the  great  State  of  Mis- 
souri, having  a  population  equal  to  that  of  Virginia  or  Kentucky, 
and  a  territory  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  miles  long,  meas- 
ured on  a  north  and  south  line  through  its  capital,  and  over  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  wide,  reckoning  by  a  line  due  west  from 
St.  Louis,  was  in  a  sea  of  trouble.  Its  means  of  communica- 
tion, excellent  for  the  period,  were  quite  meager  compared  with 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  109 

its  present.  The  Mississippi  River  on  the  east  separates  it  from 
Illinois  as  far  south  as  Cairo,  and  from  Kentucky  thence  to 
Island  Number  Ten ;  even  Tennessee  for  a  number  of  miles 
abuts  the  great  State.  On  the  south,  it  is  bounded  by  Arkansas; 
on  the  west,  mainly  by  Kansas,  and  on  the  north  by  Iowa.  The 
railroads  radiating  from  St.  Louis,  had  their  termini  on  the  south 
at  Ironton  ;  south-west,  at  Rolla  ;  west  through  Jefferson  City, 
the  capital,  at  Sedalia,  and  north-west  at  Macon  City,  where  a 
junction  was  effected  with  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad, 
that  ran  west  across  the  State  from  opposite  Quincy,  Illinois. 
Besides  these,  the  Missouri  River,  entering  Missouri  at  Kansas 
City,  crosses  the  State,  and  passing  Lexington,  Booneville,  Jef- 
ferson City  and  St.  Charles,  enters  the  Mississippi  a  little  below 
Alton,  Illinois.  These  facilities  were  increased  by  wagon-roads, 
for  the  most  part  incomplete  or  poorly  made,  and  by  smaller 
rivers  of  little  service.  Telegraphic  communication  was  had  by 
the  Stebbins  line  connecting  St.  Louis  with  Fort  Scott,  Kansas, 
by  way  of  Springfield,  Missouri.  There  was  also  a  line  over 
the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad  ;  another  line  connected  St. 
Louis  with  Sedalia  via  Jefferson  City  and  Syracuse,  thence  it  ran 
south-westerly  to  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas,  via  Warsaw,  Bolivar 
and  Springfield.  Such  were  the  means  of  communication  in 
Missouri  early  in  1861. 

When  the  bombardment  in  Charleston  harbor  was  echoed  by 
telegraph  across  the  prairies  of  Illinois,  the  Government  arsenal 
at  St.  Louis,  in  charge  of  Captain  Nathaniel  Lyon,  contained 
twenty-two  thousand  stand  of  arms.  General  Frost,  a  Missouri 
State  Militia  officer,  began  organizing  a  strong  force  at  a  camp 
just  outside  of  the  city,  nominally  to  secure  State  neutrality, 
but  really  to  capture  the  arms  in  the  arsenal,  arm  his  troops  and 
then,  capturing  the  city,  containing,  in  1860,  one  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  seventy-three  citizens,  make 
a  bold  stand  in  favor  of  the  Confederacy.  So  imminent  was 
the  danger  of  such  capture,  that  Captain  Lyon,  to  deceive  the 
Secessionists  as  to  his  strength,  sent  away  by  night  portions  of 
his  handful  of  troops,  to  return  by  day  with  drums  beating. 
Governor  Jackson  had,  before  this,  telegraphed  the  President  a 
refusal  to  furnish  troops,  and  there  was  no  authority  in  the  State 
for  the  enrollment  of  a  Federal  soldier.     At  this  critical  time, 


110  THE    MILITARY   TELEGRAl'H  DURING   THE 

the  rioters  in  Baltimore  cut  the  telegraphs  to  Washington, 
whence  only  could  emanate  orders  to  meet  the  emergency.  The 
Governors  of  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio,  clamorous  for  arms,  ap- 
pealed by  telegraph  to  General  Wool  in  New  York.  Wool  tele- 
graphed Governor  Yates  to  send  a  judicious  officer  with  four  or 
five  companies  to  the  arsenal,  which  was  believed  to  be  in  dan- 
ger of  seizure.  In  consequence  of  that  telegraphic  order,  this 
large  quantity  of  arms,  together  with  two  field  pieces  and  one 
hundred  and  ten  thousand  rounds  of  ammunition,  was  removed 
to  Illinois  during  the  night  of  April  25,  and  instead  of  being 
used  to  destroy,  was  perhaps  the  means  of  saving  the  Union, 
as  at  that  time  most  of  the  Government  arms  were  in  the  South- 
ern States. 

The  President,  April  30,  by  telegraph,  authorized  the  enlist- 
ment of  troops  in  Missouri,  whereupon  German  and  American 
regiments  were  enrolled,  and  on  the  10th  of  May  Captain  Lyon, 
with  the  aid  of  these  troops,  captured  Frost's  command  of  twelve 
hundred  men,  twenty  cannon  and  many  hundred  rifles  and  mus- 
kets with  ammunition.  These  decisive  proceedings  quickly  culmi- 
nated there  in  positive  war  ;  the  Secessionists  generally  throwing 
aside  all  masks  and  openly  avowing  their  opinions,  met  in  camps  to 
defend  them.  June  12,  Governor  Jackson  called  for  fifty  thou- 
sand troops  to  be  used  against  the  Federals.  That  day  the  tele- 
graph wires  between  the  State  capital  and  St.  Louis  were  cut. 
Jackson  selected  Lexington  and  Booneville  for  his  militia  to 
concentrate.  To  disperse  these  State  troops,  Lyon's  command 
arrived  at  Booneville  on  the  seventeenth,  and  utterly  routed  the 
militia  under  Marmaduke,  pursuing  them  south-westerly  to  Ver- 
non County  near  the  Kansas  line,  where  Price  with  his  Lexing- 
ton forces  joined  the  retreating  Confederates,  and  together  they 
pressed  further  south  into  Jasper  County,  where  they  were  con- 
fronted by  another  Union  force  under  Colonel  Sigel,  which  was 
intended  to  co-operate  with  Lyon,  now  a  brigadier  general  and 
commander  of  the  Department  of  Missouri.  Sigel's  forces  fell 
back,  fighting  at  Carthage,  and  joined  Lyon  at  Springfield  on 
the  10th  of  July.  The  telegraph  company  operating  the  lines 
to  Booneville  was  able,  on  Lyon's  advance,  to  repair  their  wires, 
so  that  by  the  21st  of  June  he  dispatched  telegrams  from  Jefier- 
son  City,  and  on  the  twenty-fourth  from  Booneville,  where  he 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  Ill 

remained  in  telegraphic  communication  for  some  days  at  the 
head  of  one  invading  army,  while  his  chief,  on  the  eve  of  an- 
other campaign,  was  at  Grafton,  over  seven  hundred  miles  dis- 
tant, at  the  head  of  another.  When  Lyon  left  Booneville,  July 
3,  he  seems  not  to  have  been  again  in  telegraphic  communication 
with  any  point  up  to  the  date  of  his  unfortunate  sacrifice  in  Au- 
gust. 

Charles  Lehr  was  the  operator  at  Springfield  when  hostilities 
commenced.  At  that  time.  Unionists  and  Secessionists  bush- 
whacked one  another  in  that  section,  and  Lehr  was  fired  at  twice 
while  mending  the  line.  On  his  return  to  his  office,  he  discov- 
ered the  wire  had  been  cut  again,  and  employing  an  assistant, 
started  out  once  more  and  found  that  half  a  mile  of  line  had 
been  carried  off.  While  repairing  this,  he  was  again  fired  upon 
by  concealed  enemies,  but  being  well  armed,  he  and  his  assist- 
ant entered  the  brush  and  fired  a  few  shots  where  they  had  seen 
the  smoke  rise,  after  which  they  were  not  molested.  It  is  safe 
to  add  that  they  did  not  tarry  long  to  make  perfect  joints. 
Again  returning,  to  find  the  line  cut  once  more,  Lehr,  believing 
his  usefulness  there  as  an  operator  ended,  joined  a  company  of 
home  guards  to  hunt  horse  thieves  and  bushwhackers.  This 
company  participated  in  the  battle  of  Carthage.  Stebbins'  lines 
being  now  destroyed,  Lehr  was  next  stationed  as  operator  in 
Missouri  opposite  Quincy,  where  we  shall  meet  him  again. 

In  the  Spring  of  1861,  and  prior  thereto,  J.  J.  S.  Wilson, 
residing  in  Springfield,  Illinois,  was  superintendent  of  the  Illi- 
nois &  Mississippi  Telegraph  Company,  The  Chicago  &  Missis- 
sippi Telegraph  Company  and  the  Illinois  Central  Telegraph 
Company,  owning  the  telegraph  (patent)  territory  of  Illinois, 
Iowa,  Minnesota,  North  Missouri  from  St.  Louis  and  a  portion 
of  Wisconsin.  Charles  Davenport  was  division  superintendent 
for  the  St.  Louis  district  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Com- 
pany and  C.  M.  Stebbins,  of  the  Missouri  &  Western.  The 
lines  of  these  companies  entered  the  consolidated  office  in  St. 
Louis,  managed  by  George  H.  Smith,  who  was  also  superintend- 
ent of  the  St.  Louis,  Alton  &  Terre  Haute  Kailroad  wires. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  General  John  C.  Fremont  reached  St. 
Louis  and  assumed  command  of  what  was  then  known  as  the 


112  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Department  of  the  West,  which  embraced  Illinois  and  all  the 
States  and  Territories  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  including 
New  Mexico,  with  an  expectancy  of  Kentucky  also.  By  direc- 
tion of  General  Fremont,  George  H.  Smith,  early  in  August, 
erected  lines  in  the  city,  to  connect  the  main  office  with  the  head 
offices  of  the  army,  including  Fremont's  head-quarters.  Major 
McKinstry's  (chief  quarter-master)  office  and  the  arsenal.  At 
this  time  there  was  no  telegraphic  communication  between  St. 
Louis  and  Ironton,  or  along  the  line  of  the  Iron  Mountain  Rail- 
road ;  none  from  St.  Louis  on  the  North  Missouri  Railroad  to 
the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad  ;  none  over  the  South-west 
Branch  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  to  Rolla,  and  none  west  of  Jeffer- 
son City  on  the  main  stem  of  the  Pacific  road  ;  but  on  the  Han- 
nibal &  St.  Joseph  road  the  line  and  road  itself  had  been  kept 
open,  except  when  temporarily  impaired  by  guerrillas. 

Operator  D.  A.  Williams,  who  opened  an  office  for  Colonel 
U.  S.  Grant,  at  Salt  River,  and  subsequently  exhibited  great 
courage  in  repairing  the  line,  was  exceedingly  useful  hereabouts 
at  this  time.  John  B.  Clarke  was  operator  and  agent  at  Callao, 
on  this  road,  during  the  winter  and  spring  of  1861.  Sometime 
in  May,  a  party  of  local  Secessionists  demanded  of  Clarke  the 
truth  concerning  a  report  they  had  received  by  special  messenger 
from  Macon  City,  which  lies  about  eight  miles  east  of  Callao, 
that  the  Dutch  had  taken  Macon  City,  killed  the  women  and 
children  there,  and  were  then  marching  on  Callao.  This  report 
was  but  the  result  of  that  dark  reportorial  wave  which,  gather- 
ing blackness  as  it  advanced  from  St.  Louis  after  the  capture  of 
Frost's  militia,  had  spread  like  a  great  cloud,  and  hung  over  the 
State  of  Missouri.  Clarke's  denial  was  unsatisfactory.  The  Han- 
nibal &  St.  Joseph  was  regarded  as  a  Yankee  road,  and  its  em- 
ployees were  all  suspected  by  the  secession  element.  Three 
mounted  men  were  sent  toward  Macon  City  to  ascertain  the 
facts,  and  Clarke  was  held  in  custody  until  their  return,  when,  if 
the  report  proved  true,  he  was  to  be  executed. 

Burning  bridges,  firing  upon  passenger  trains  and  cutting  the 
telegraph  was  henceforth  for  many  months  the  occupation,  in 
part,  of  marauding  bands  throughout  North  Missouri,  and,  con- 
sequently, Clarke  became  a  traveling  operator.  Taking  his  in- 
strument he  accompanied  troops  on  the  trains  over  the  road,  to 


CIVIL   WAK   IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  113 

move  other  trains  in  case  a  bridge  was  burned  and  communica- 
tion with  the  dispatcher  cat  oflf.  It  was  while  so  engaged  at 
Platte  River,  that  T.  O'Meara,  operator  at  St.  Joseph,  saved  him 
from  capture  by  telegraphing  notice  of  the  approach  of  Confed- 
erates, who  fired  the  new  trestles. 

In  the  early  part  of  August,  General  John  Pope,  in  Alton, 
111. ,  assisted  by  General  Hurlburt,  at  Quincy,  was  in  command  of 
No^th  Missouri,  including  the  counties  (on  both  sides)  along  the 
iviissouri  River,  except  St.  Louis.  The  outlying  department 
posts,  t3  the  west  and  south,  were  at  Booneville,  187  miles  from 
St.  Lc  AS  :  at  Jefierson  City,  125  miles  ;  at  Springfield,  236  miles 
(General  Lyon's  command);  at  Rolla,  115  miles  ;  at  Ironton,  80 
miles  ;  at  Cairo  about  186  miles,  via  railroad,  and  at  points  con- 
tiguous to  each.  The  principal  contending  forces  were,  in  front 
of  Lyon,  about  twenty  thousand  to  his  eight  thousand  ;  about  five 
thousand  under  Thompson,  threatening  Cape  Girardeau,  which 
is  on  one  of  the  few  Mississippi  highlands  in  this  department,  and 
lies  sixty  miles  above  Cairo.  A  little  below^  New  Madrid,  was  a 
force  estimated  at  twenty  thousand,  under  Pillow,  and  further 
north  another  under  Hardee,  about  equal  to  Thompson's. 

In  this  situation  of  affairs,  the  commanders  at  Cape  Girar- 
deau and  Cairo,  and  Lyon  at  Springfield,  were  repeatedly  call- 
ing for  re-inforcements.  Fremont  was  telegraphed,  while  in 
New  York,  on  the  18th  of  July,  to  re-inforce  Lyon,  and,  on  the 
2d  of  August,  J.  C.  Kelton,  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  tele- 
graphed from  Cairo  :  "  General  Lyon  wants  soldiers,  soldiers, 
soldiers  !  So  says  General  Hammer,  who  has  just  arrived  from 
Springfield."  Girardeau  and  Cairo  were  strengthened,  the  latter 
by  several  regiments,  although  fortified  and  having  heavy  artil- 
lery in  position.  It  has  been  said  that,  owing  to  its  position 
and  armament,  the  rebels  had  not,  on  river  and  ocean,  such  craft 
as  could  have  approached  Girardeaii.  But  not  a  soldier  reached 
nearer  Lyon's  force  than  Rolla,  until  the  remnant  of  his  heroic 
army  was  in  full  retreat  after  one  of  the  most  gallant  battles  of 
the  century.  On  the  10th  of  August,  at  Wilson's  Creek,  near 
Springfield,  Lyon  fell  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  which  were  de- 
feated with  a  loss  of  223  killed,  721  wounded,  and  292  missing. 
That  of  the  enemy  was  about  the  same. 

About  the  1st  of  August,  George  H.  Smith  was  appointed 
8 


114  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

by  Fremont,  manager  of  all  the  Government  telegraphs  in  the 
department,  whereupon  he  submitted  his  plan  for  a  permanent 
organization,  as  follows : 

''My  proposition  is  to  organize  a  corps  of  telegraph  opera- 
tors, builders  and  repairers,  of  experience,  for  the  purpose  of 
putting  in  complete  order  all  telegraphs  in  this  department,  now 
suspended,  and  building  any  lines,  or  putting  in  telegraphic  com- 
munication any  point  ordered  by  the  Commanding  General ;  this 
corps  to  be  regularly  organized,  under  military  discipline,  armed 
and  equipped  ;  to  receive  competent  pay  for  their  respective  ser- 
vices. I  also  propose,  with  the  authority  of  the  Commanding  Gen- 
eral, to  purchase  to  the  best  possible  advantage  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  telegraphic  material,  including  wire,  telegraphic  cordage,  in- 
sulators and  teams,  for  service  for  building  and  repairing  for 
immediate  use  in  any  emergency,  so  that  time  and  expense  may 
be  saved.  Each  operator  to  be  furnished  with  a  pocket  instru- 
ment to  open  communication  from  the  field  of  battle,  or  the 
marching  army,  to  head-quarters,  or  elsewhere,  instantly.  I 
propose  that  the  corps  shall  number  fifty,  more  or  less,  as 
may  be  deemed  necessary,  with  authority  to  increase  the  num- 
ber as  circumstances  may  require,  and  to  be  proportionately 
divided  —  operators,  builders,  repairers  and  teamsters,  as  the 
work  to  be  done  may  demand,  with  a  view  to  the  least  possible 
expense  and  the  most  efficient  action." 

This  was  substantially  approved,  and  efforts  were  made  to 
recruit  a  battalion  of  three  companies,  which  Smith,  with  the 
rank  of  Major,  was  to  command.  These  companies  were  to  be 
armed  and  drilled.  Frank  S.  VanValkenburgh,  who  had  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Rich  Mountain,  as  sergeant  in  an  Indiana 
three-months  regiment,  on  telegraphic  request,  hastened  to  St. 
Louis  to  accept  a  third  (special)  lieutenancy  in  the  battalion. 
Company  B,  by  September  9,  was  recruited  for  three  years  to 
the  number  of  seventy-four  privates,  eight  corporals,  two  lieu- 
tenants, one  captain  (W.  S.  Hewett).  Companies  A  and  C  were 
pai-tially  recruited.  T.  Milton  Guerin,  Theron  R.  Perlee,  George 
Allen,  C.  D.  Waterhouse  and  Duncan  T.  Bacon  were  to  be  offi- 
cers in  the  battalion.  Guerin  was  so  remarkably  gifted  as  to 
enable  him  to  obtain  whatever  was  needed,  even  after  Major 
Smith  had  found  it  hopeless.     Perhaps  his  ''Index  to  General 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  115 

Orders  Affecting  the  Volunteer  Forces,"  printed  in  1861,  gave 
him  some  prestige,  as  it  was  a  work  of  some  considerable  labor 
and  merit.  Among  the  officers,  but  few  were  practical  teleg- 
raphers, and  in  the  ranks  there  were  none.  This  battalion  rebuilt 
the  telegraph  line  to  Ironton,  RoUa  and  Sedalia,  from  Jefferson 
City  to  a  point  twenty-five  miles  south  of  Syracuse  ;  from  St. 
Louis  arsenal  to  Benton  barracks,  six  miles,  and  laid  a  cable 
across  the  river,  connecting  Palmyra  and  Quincy.  All  this  was 
before  November,  1861. 

There  being  no  legal  authority  for  the  organization  of  the 
battalion,  it  was  disbanded  by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
about  November  1.  No  commissions  were  ever  issued,  but  the 
title  of  major  was  permanently  attached  to  Mr.  Smith.  Except 
Chester's  Telegraph  Corps  (a  company  in  General  Sickle's  brig- 
ade), in  which  Frank  H.  Lamb  and  C.  I.  Brown  were  the  only- 
operators,  I  know  of  no  other  instance  of  military  company 
organization  for  telegraph  service  during  the  war,  and  this  latter, 
although  so  enlisted,  being  sworn  into  service  for  three  years, 
was  held  to  ordinary  soldier's  duty,  but  Brown  and  Lamb  were 
detailed  therefrom  for  telegraph  service. 

Let  us  now  take  a  later  view  of  the  military  aspect  in  Mis- 
souri. Fremont  was  making  preparations  to  move  an  army  to 
Springfield  when  he  ascertained  that  Price,  coming  northward 
from  Clinton,  had  reached  the  Upper  Osage,  and  was  moving  in 
the  direction  of  Warrensburg,  threatening  Lexington,  Jefferson 
City  and  Boone ville.  When  within,  say,  thirty-five  miles  of 
Lexington,  Price,  after  halting  about  ten  days,  moved  against  it, 
arriving  in  its  vicinity  on  the  11th  of  September,  with  a  force  of 
about  twenty  thousand  men  and  thirteen  guns.  He  soon  drove 
Mulligan's  force  of  2,780  troops  and  eight  guns  from  the  town. 
They  took  a  strong,  elevated  position  just  outside,  where,  with 
bravery  unsurpassed  and  in  anticipation  of  aid  from  some  of 
Fremont's  fifty  thousand,  they  withstood  the  enemy  for  nine 
days.  After  the  nine  days'  defense,  commended  alike  by  friend 
and  foe,  Mulligan  being  out  of  ammunition  and  water,  was,  on 
the  21st  of  September,  obliged  to  capitulate. 

On  the  twenty-seventh,  Fremont  started  in  pursuit  of  Price. 
At  his  camp  (Lily),  two  miles  from  Jeflerson  City,  he  was  tele- 
graphically connected  with  the  outside  world — a  part  of  Smith's 


116  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

battalion  having  laid  a  land  cable  from  a  reel  mounted  on  two 
wheels,  drawn  by  one  horse.  Thus  in  two  hours  from  the  time 
Major  Smith  received  his  orders,  communication  with  St.  Louis 
was  complete.  This  office  could  at  any  moment  place  him  in 
immediate  communication  with  the  other  principal  outlying  posts. 
The  cable  was  buried  in  a  trench  to  preserve  it  from  injury. 
Land  cables  were  not  used  again  in  Missouri  during  the  war. 
Price  fled  to  the  south-west  corner  of  the  State,  where,  notwith- 
standing he  was  joined  by  McCulloch's  force  of  five  thousand,  he 
continued  his  retreat  to  Pineville.  Fremont  encamped  at  Tipton, 
finally  reaching  Springfield  about  the  1st  of  November.  He  was 
superseded  by  General  Hunter  at  a  time  when  he  and  his  army 
expected  to  join  battle  with  their  adversaries,  then  much  inferior 
to  the  Federals  in  strength.  The  gallant  charge  by  Zagonyi,  the 
recent  victory  at  Fredericktown  over  Thompson's  forces,  and 
the  high  regard  of  the  troops  for  their  late  commander,  made  vic- 
tory a  moral  certainty. 

Hunter  was  ordered  to  retire  from  Springfield.  Charles  L. 
Weir,  chief  cipher  operator  at  that  time  in  St.  Louis,  was  the  bearer 
of  that  most  unfortunate  and  injurious  command.  Historians  have 
speculated  a  good  deal  about  this  order.  The  facts  are  that 
Weir  received  dispatches  in  cipher  from  General  McClellan, 
directing  Hunter  to  retreat  to  Rolla ;  and  so  urgent  were  they 
regarded,  that  McClellan,  who  knew  Weir  while  in  Cincinnati, 
telegi'aphedhim  a  personal  request  to  take  the  telegrams  to  Hunter 
by  way  of  Tipton.  There  was  a  beautiful  young  lady  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio,  probably  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  whose 
nuptials  were  soon  expected.  Weir  was  a  highly  important  fac- 
tor in  the  programme,  and  wanted  some  one  else  sent  to  Hunter; 
but  McClellan  prevailed,  and  Weir  started  for  Tipton,  where  he 
procured  a  horse  of  Philip  Sheridan,  then  captain  and  assistant 
quarter-master  there.  Equestrianism  was  never  Weir's  hobby,  and 
Sheridan  may  have,  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,  selected  an  animal 
that  traveled  as  ungracefully  as  a  camel.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
Springfield,  via  Warsaw  and  Bolivar,  was  a  hard  road  to  travel, 
especially  when  the  traveler  was  pressed  for  time  and  unused  to 
a  Mexican  saddle.  How  Weir  succeeded,  we  scarcely  know  ; 
but  this  we  know  full  well,  that  what  was  left  of  him  late  at 
night  on  entering  Springfield,  delivered  the  dispatches  and  went 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  117 

to  bed,  feeling  that  it  had  passed  through  many  battles,  and  was 
seriously  wounded  scores  of  times  all  over.  Collecting  himself 
the  next  day,  and  readjusting  his  "shattered  columns,"  he  and 
Charles  G.  Halpin  (Miles  O'Reilly)  returned  to  the  railroad  at 
Tipton,  in  cm  ambulance. 

During  these  military  operations,  the  Telegraph  CoriDs  in  Mis- 
souri was  increasing  in  efficiency,  and  telegraphers  were  sta- 
tioned as  hereinafter  shown,  not  including  company  employes: 
At  West  Quincy,  Charles  Lehr :  while  temporarily  working 
nights  at  a  junction  near  Palmyra,  he  was  surrounded  by  rebel 
horsemen,  some  of  whom  presented  revolvers  at  his  head  and 
threatened  him  with  their  contents  unless  he  obeyed  their  be- 
hests. They  searched  his  office  for  telegrams  and  decamped. 
At  St.  Louis,  H.  A.  Bogardus,  Derrick  O'Dyer  from  August  9th, 
C.  S.  Payne  from  September ;  at  Arsenal,  A.  S.  Hawkins  from 
October  4:th,  Duncan  T.  Bacon  a  short  time  in  August ;  at  Fre- 
mont's head-quarters,  John  C.  (Yankee)  Sullivan  and  D.  T.  Ba- 
con ;  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  J.  L.  Quate  from  August  25th  ;  at 
California,  H.  J.  Fish  and  R.  Kuhn ;  at  Tipton,  Wayne  H.  Par- 
sons and  S.  L.  Griffin ;  at  Smithton,  Alex.  Hunter  ;  at  Sedalia, 
H.  A.  Bogardus  in  October ;  at  Moselle,  George  C.  York ;  at 
Sullivan,  Luke  O'Reilly  j  at  Rolla,  C.  S.  Payne,  temporarily, 
J.  H.  Rugg  and  W.  H.  Woodring  ;  at  Mineral  Point,  James  H. 
Douglass ;  at  Pilot  Knob^  J.  H.  Byrne  :  Frank  S.  Vanvalken- 
burg  acted  generally  as  assistant  to*  Major  Smith,  wherever  most 
needed.  Sullivan  and  Bacon  remained  with  Fremont  until  he 
was  superseded  at  Springfield  by  Hunter.  Payne  also  accompa- 
nied Fremont,  but  went  to  Rolla  afterwards.  Isaac  McMichael 
accompanied  the  army  to  Warsaw,  where  he  opened  office. 
Woodring,  who  enlisted  May  3,  1861,  for  three  years,  had  al- 
ready done  good  service  as  operator  when  he  was  detailed  to 
work  the  Rolla  office. 

Thus  far  we  have  generally  overlooked  affairs  about  Cairo. 
There  was  some  friction,  arising  out  of  Fremont's  military 
order,  placing  Smith  in  charge  of  the  telegraph  in  the  de- 
partment, which  resulted  in  J.  J.  S.  Wilson  being  recognized  as 
superintendent  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  Smith,  west. 
Owing  to  embarrassments  common  to  civilians  having  important 
military  functions  to  perform,  and  appreciating  the  gTeat  duties 


118 


THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 


devolving  upon  Wilson,  Governor  Richard  Yates,  of  Illinois, 
September  10,  1861,  commissioned  him  colonel  of  Illinois  volun- 
teers. 

John  James  Speed  Wilson  was  so  named  because  of  the  fa- 
vor in  which  his  parents  held  John  J.  Speed,  Jr. ,  a  relative  of 
theirs.     Speed  not  only  furnished  his  whole  name,  but  provided 

a  creditable  employ- 
ment whereby  his 
namesake  might 
maintain  it  becom- 
ingly. Wilson  was 
born,  March  1, 
1834,inDanby,New 
York,  where  his 
father  dealt  in  lum- 
ber. Subsequently 
(1845),  the  family 
removed  to  Racine, 
where  young  Wil- 
son's ideas  fairly 
began  to  develop, 
aided  of  course  by 
the  teachings  pro- 
vided in  the  public 
schools.  Having 
natural  inclinations  toward  mechanics,  it  is  quite  probable  that 
his  future  would  have  lain  in  that  direction  but  for  the  com- 
ing of  Speed  upon  the  scenes  just  as  Wilson  had  reached  that 
restless  age  of  fourteen,  when  a  boy  is  most  anxious  to  under- 
take his  own  fortunes.  Speed  had  contracted  with  Hon.  F.  O. 
J.  Smith  and  Amos  Kendall  to  erect  for  them,  or  rather  for 
their  telegraph  company,  the  Erie  &  Michigan,  a  telegraph 
line  from  Detroit  to  Milwaukee.  At  the  same  time  (1847), 
other  contractors  were  connecting  Detroit  with  Buflfalo,  and  it 
was  the  prosecution  of  his  undertaking  that  brought  Speed  to 
Racine,  when  Master  Wilson,  convinced  that  telegraphy  was  his 
ajQSnity,  embraced  it  with  all  the  ardor  of  a  young  lover.  It 
was  but  a  short  time  after  when  Speed,  Jr.,  who  was  chosen 
president  of  the  company,  made  Wilson  manager  of  Little  Fort 


J.  J.  S.  WILSON. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  119 

(now  Waukegan),  Illinois,  office,  at  a  salary  of  about  fourteen 
dollars  per  month. 

Those  were  halcyon  days  for  operators,  in  all  matters  except 
salaries  ;  the  art  was  mystic ;  new  offices  were  being  rapidly 
opened  in  all  the  States,  and  attention  to  duty  was  certain  of 
ultimate  reward.  Two  years  after,  Wilson,  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen, was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Hotchkiss  lines,  con- 
necting Madison,  Wisconsin,  with  Chicago,  and,  consequently,  he 
removed  to  the  latter  city.  The  author  does  not  remember  an- 
other instance  of  like  trust  in  one  so  young,  and  it  argues  either 
that  the  duties  were  not  then  particularly  executive,  or  that 
Wilson's  precocity  in  that  direction  was  remarkable.  The  lat- 
ter would  seem  to  be  the  case,  since  he  was  obliged  to  resign  the 
position  the  following  year  on  account  of  the  responsibilities 
wearing  on  his  nervous  organization.  While  seeking  relaxation, 
he  was  induced  to  take  temporary  charge  of  the  Springfield,  Il- 
linois, (Illinois  &  Mississippi  Telegraph  Company)  office,  and  in 
five  months  thereafter  was  made  superintendent  of  the  lines  in 
the  western  division.  That  was  in  1851.  During  the  ten  years 
followinof,  Mr.  Wilson,  retaining  his  position,  was  stationed  at 
the  following  points  in  the  division,  viz.:  Springfield,  Illinois, 
Burlington,  Iowa,  Galena,  Illinois,  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
Quincy,  Illinois,  which  indicate  the  considerable  field  embraced 
within  his  territory.  His  position  threw  him  in  contact  with 
most  of  the  historic  men  of  those  times,  as  well  as  with  others 
since  renowned.  Among  these  may  be  named  Lincoln  and 
Grant.  It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  many  notable  telegraphers 
are  graduates  of  this  division  of  the  Illinois  &  Mississippi  Com- 
pany's lines,  among  whom  are  Robert  C.  Clowry,  James  Gamble, 
Charles  C.  Hine,  E.  D.  L.  Sweet  and,  it  also  brought  to  the 
front  in  telegraphic  circles,  that  distinguished  jurist  and  citi:?en, 
John  D.  Caton,  of  Illinois. 

Samuel  H.  Beckwith,  having  joined  Colonel  W.  H.  L.  Wal- 
lace's regiment,  which  was  stationed  at  Villa  Ridge  on  thej  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad,  twelve  miles  north  of  Cairo,  sometimes 
assisted  Ed.  Schermerhorn,  a  private  in  the  same  regiment,  in 
telegraphing  at  this  field  office,  which  was  in  connection  with  the 


120  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

main  Chicago  line,  as  early  as  May  19,  and  so  remained  for  a 
month,   when  the  regiment  moved  to  Bird's  Point. 

General  Polk,  having  entered  Kentucky  on  September  5th, 
near  Columbus,  occupied  that  place  on  the  seventh  and  fortified 
it.  The  Federal  forces  at  Cairo,  under  General  Grant,  no  longer 
respecting  Kentucky's  position  as  an  armed  neutral,  seized  Pa- 
ducah,  about  fifty  miles  above  Cairo  on  the  Ohio,  on  the  6th  of 
September,  and  also  a  point  opposite  Bird's  Point,  a  little  below 
Cairo,  which  was  fortified  and  named  Fort  Holt.  Up  to  Novem- 
ber 7,  when  the  battle  of  Belmont  was  fought  and  General  Grant 
lost  about  four  hundred  men,  no  conflict  of  special  moment 
occurred  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cairo.  Colonel  Wilson  built  a 
line  along  the  north  bank  of  the  Ohio  from  Cairo,  crossing  the 
river  by  cable  to  Paducah.  Communication  was  opened  with 
Fort  Holt  via  the  old  cable  across  the  Ohio  and  line  extended  to 
the  fort,  the  telegraph  being  used  to  notify  Cairo  of  any  Confed- 
erate approach  by  water.  The  operators  employed  in  this  dis- 
trict, up  to  November  1,  were  William  Foley,  at  Cairo  ;  A.  W. 
O'Neil,  probably  there  also  ;  H.  W.  Nichols,  at  Metropolis  ; 
George  S.  Pidgeon,  at  Caledonia ;  Samuel  T,  Brush,  at  Mound 
City  ;  J.  T.  Tiffany,  at  Fort  Holt ;  L.  D.  Parker,  at  Paducah ; 
all  of  whom  were  first  employed  in  October. 


On  the  Confederate  side,  fronting  the  military  points  of  the 
Federal  Department  of  the  West,  telegraph  connections  and  ad- 
vantages, except  in  Kentucky,  where  they  were  reasonably 
good,  bore  a  far  different  aspect.  The  Confederates'  advance 
office,  after  the  capture  of  Paducah,  was  at  Blandville,  eighteen 
miles  from  Columbus  and  twelve  from  Cairo.  All  of  the  private 
lines  in  the  Confederacy  being  intact,  the  chief  cities  and  towns 
of  the  South  enjoyed,  to  a  degree  nearly  equal  to  those  in  the 
Northern  States,  the  advantages  of  early  information  as  to  the 
progress  of  military  events  in  this  quarter. 

The  Caton  lines  and  South-western  Company's  converged  at 
Cairo,  which,  before  the  war,  furnished  a  Southern  outlet  for 
Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  eastern  business,  but  soon  after  troops 
began  arriving  at  Cairo,  the  South-western  lines  were  cut  at  Co- 
lumbus. 

At  this  time,  Emmet  Howard  was  operator  at  Blandville  and 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  121 

required  by  his  company  to  keep  the  line  in  order  to  Cairo,  Pa- 
ducah  and  Columbus.  But  the  Federal  cavalry  and  Confederate 
scouting  parties  soon  overran  this  region,  occasioning  frequent 
skirmishes,  the  reports  of  which  were  forwarded  by  courier  to 
Howard,  who  then  telegraphed  them  to  Columbus.  It  is  a  sin- 
gular fact,  that  Blandville  and  Cairo  were  still  in  communication, 
the  operators  frequently  conversing,  but  jealously  eschewing 
military  affairs.  They  became  more  reticent  as  the  war  fever 
raged,  and  finally  the  southern  line  was  cut  off  at  Cairo.  How- 
ard now  became  anxious  for  his  safety,  but  by  a  delicate  adjust- 
ment of  his  instrument,  owing  to  some  defect  in  Cairo  office,  he 
found  he  could  hear  Chicago  and  other  offices.  He  became 
deeply  interested,  hoping  to  hear  important  messages,  and  for 
several  days  listened  attentively  to  telegrams,  but  only  heard 
railroad  and  commercial  dispatches. 

That  line  to  Blandville  was  soon  after  destroyed,  but  the  Pa- 
ducah  wire  was  in  circuit  until  the  6th  of  September,  when 
Howard  reported  at  Columbus  and  was  ordered  back.  He  con- 
nected his  instrument  in  a  ravine,  one  mile  south  of  Blandville, 
a  hundred  yards  from  the  main  road,  where,  behind  a  fallen  tree, 
with  a  fine  wire  run  to  the  main  line,  so  as  to  prevent  discovery, 
he  telegraphed  to  Columbus  such  reports  as  were  furnished  him 
by  mounted  scouts,  and  also  such  movements  of  Federals  along 
the  main  road  as  he  noticed.  But  finding  little  glory  and  much 
risk  and  hardship,  he  sought  more  congenial  quarters,  disgusted 
with  field  telegraphy,  especially  as  the  Confederates  seemed  not 
to  have  made  the  most  of  the  information  so  obtained. 


In  Arkansas,  prior  to  the  year  1860,  there  was  no  telegraph, 
but  before  the  war,  as  we  have  seen,  C.  M.  Stebbins  connected 
Fort  Smith  through  Van  Buren,  Fayetteville,  and  along  Pea 
Ridge  in  North-west  Arkansas,  with  Springfield  and  Syracuse, 
Missouri,  and  about  the  same  time  Henry  A.  Montgomery  built 
a  line  from  Memphis,  Tennessee,  along  the  projected  Memphis 
&  Little  Rock  Railroad  to  Little  Rock,  the  State  capital,  whence 
it  was  extended  at  least  to  Clarksville  by  Montgomery  during 
the  war.  He  also,  before  the  war,  built  a  line  from  Madison, 
St.  Francis  County,  Arkansas,  to  Helena,  Arkansas.  These 
were  completed  about  January,   1861.     L.   C.  Baker,  the  first 


122  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

manager  at  Little  Rock,  became  superintendent  of  the  line  after 
the  capture  of  Memphis.  During  the  winter  of  1860-61,  Messrs. 
Snow  and  Ketchum  built  a  line  from  Little  Rock  to  Pine  Bluff, 
south-east  of  Little  Rock,  on  the  Arkansas  River,  which  soon 
came  under  Baker's  management. 

Among  the  people,  the  secession  question  absorbed  all  oth- 
ers and  was  involved  in  an  election  of  delegates  to  the  State  con- 
vention, to  be  holden  March  4.  Robert  S.  Gantt,  a  candidate  to 
that  convention,  an  ex-telegrapher  and  a  Secessionist,  had  been 
defeated  in  Prairie  County  by  Colonel  Totten,  a  conditional 
Unionist,  who,  like  all  others  of  that  frigid  kind,  became  a  tor- 
rid Secessionist,  as  did  also  some  other  delegates.  Gantt  had 
employed  Baker  in  Mississippi  in  1855,  and  may  have  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  the  decided  effort  made  late  in  February  to  pre- 
vent Unionists  from  sending  political  telegrams,  but  although 
Baker  was  a  Secessionist,  he  had  the  manhood  to  reject  propo- 
sals to  that  end ;  whereupon  the  plotters  intended  forcibly  to 
possess  themselves  of  the  office  and  install  Gantt,  but  in  this 
Gantt  would  not  aid  them.  About  the  1st  of  March,  W.  B. 
Windsor,  an  ex-operator,  acting  as  clerk  on  a  steamer  plying  be- 
tween Cincinnati,  and  Fort  Smith  on  the  Arkansas  River,  was 
induced  by  Montgomery  and  Baker  to  relieve  the  latter,  who 
was  beset  by  Unionists  and  Secessionists,  charging  him  with  di- 
vulging the  contents  of  messages.  Although  the  complaint  was 
unfounded,  his  position  was  one  of  peril.  After  a  short  time. 
Baker  returned,  and  Windsor  took  the  Des  Arc  office.  Federal 
Major  Sturgis  having  abandoned  Fort  jJmith,  the  Confederates 
took  down  some  of  Stebbins'  line  in  North-west  Arkansas  and 
constructed  others  therewith.  Clarksville  was  the  western  ter- 
minus of  telegraphic  communication,  when  Price  and  Van  Dorn 
retreated  in  March,  1862,  after  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  not  yet 
noticed. 


There  yet  remains  one  other  line  of  contact  between  the  bor- 
der slave  and  free  States  to  consider.  In  those  early  days,  only 
brave  men  openly  espoused  and  actively  participated  in  the 
movement  in  Kentucky,  for  or  against  disunion.  But  Kentucky, 
with  its  population  of  near  a  million  whites,  was  not  lacking  in 
men  of  that  type.     On  three  sides  of  the  State  lay  other  slave 


MEUai  BQCiS.  >?  Jtoal^filufl    Copyrighted,  ISSA  by  W.  R.  Plum. 

THEATRE  IN  CENTRAL  KENTUCKY  AND  MIDDLE  AND  EASTERN  TENNESSEE,  ALSO  IN 
MISSOURI  AND  ARKANSAS, 


^  or  TSB     ^ 
fTJSIVEESITTj 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE  UNITED   STATES.  123 

States,  and  on  the  north,  across  the  Ohio  River,  are  the  great 
free  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  their  liberty-loving 
people.  Kentucky  long  wrestled  with  that  volcanic  sentiment 
which  had  engulfed  about  one-third  of  her  people,  and  stood,  as 
it  were,  for  anxious  months,  anticipating  an  eruption,  if  not  at 
Louisville  then  in  the  Blue  Grass  region,  Frankfort,  Lexington 
or  Camp  Dick  Robinson,  where  the  crater  was  likely  to  appear, 
and  where  it  would  have  developed  but  for  a  handful  of  as  de- 
termined men  as  ever  viewed  liberty  at  the  portals  of  slavery. 

The  means  of  communication  throughout  the  State  were  or- 
dinarily good  for  accustomed  purposes  and  consisted  of  wagon 
roads,  rivers  and  railways.  Its  principal  internal  rivers  are  the 
Tennessee,  Cumberland,  Green,  Salt,  Kentucky  and  Licking. 
Its  railroads  ran  from  Louisville  to  Nashville,  Tennessee  ;  Bowl- 
ing Green  to  Memphis,  Tennessee  ;  Louisville  to  Frankfort  and 
Lexington  ;  Covington  to  Lexington  and  Nicholasville  ;  also  two 
short  roads  south  from  Paducah  and  Henderson.  Along  most 
of  these  ran  lines  of  telegraph.  Owing  to  the  position  of  Ken- 
tucky as  a  neutral,  nominally  an  armed  neutral,  the  Federals  and 
Confederates  abstained  from  entering  it  until  Polk,  deeming  the 
occupation  of  Columbus  and  vicinity  a  military  necessity,  occu- 
pied those  points,  and  ZoUicoffer,  about  the  same  time,  as  if  act- 
ing in  concert,  entered  the  State  through  East  Tennessee. 
About  this  time  (September  5),  General  L.  H.  Rousseau,  a  Ken- 
tucky Unionist,  was  quartered  in  Camp  Joe  Holt,  opposite 
Louisville,  recruiting  Kentuckians. 

The  Legislature  of  Kentucky  having,  on  the  12th  of  Septem- 
ber, invited  General  Anderson,  of  Fort  Sumter  fame,  command- 
ing the  Department  of  the  Cumberland,  to  enter  Kentucky  in 
force,  the  State  was  thereby  officially  committed  to  the  Union, 
and  General  Anderson  soon  after  removed  his  head- quarters  from 
Cincinnati  to  Louisville. 

At  this  time  Confederate  General  Buckner  was  in  command 
at  Camp  Boone,  near  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad,  in 
Tennessee,  from  which  he  moved  September  17,  by  the  rail- 
road, to  capture  Louisville.  The  two  telegraph  wires  along  the 
railway  between  Louisville  and  Nashville  had  been  in  working 
order  up  to  this  time,  and  constituted  the  last  southern  connec- 
tion to  be  severed.     Buckner  planned  a  surprise.     Had  he  first 


124  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

directed  squads  of  troopers,  each  accompanied  by  an  operator, 
to  capture  and  control  some  of  the  northern  telegraph  offices, 
and  moved  more  cautiously  by  rail,  instead  of  cutting  the  wires 
between  Bowling  Green  and  Louisville  as  he  did,  and  having  his 
forward  engine  dumped  in  the  ditch  as  it  was,  by  reason  of  a  rail 
being  displaced  by  loyal  young  Crutcher,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
but  that  he  could  have  taken  the  city.  Soon  after  four  o'clock 
p.  M.,  when  the  lines  were  cut,  rumors  of  his  coming  having 
been  some  days  afloat  in  Louisville,  it  became  noised  about  the 
city  that  the  lines  were  severed. 

All  felt  certain  that  it  betokened  the  coming  of  Buckner's 
troops,  and  thereupon  the  employes  of  the  Louisville  &  Nash- 
ville Railroad  Company  in  the  city  began  tearing  down  the 
poles  and  wires  in  the  vicinity  of  the  depot,  under  the  impres- 
sion that  they  were  helping  the  Union  cause.  T.  R.  Boyle  was 
manager  of  the  Louisville  office,  and  E.  C.  Boyle,  assistant.  Both 
were  entrusted  with  the  Government  cipher.  About  six  o'clock 
Captain  Green  and  Major  Murray,  of  Anderson's  staff,  entered 
the  telegraph  office  to  prohibit  telegraphing  south.  E.  C.  Boyle 
explained  why  that  was  impossible,  and,  having  convinced 
Anderson  of  his  loyalty  and  that  of  his  brother,  the  manager, 
further  destruction  in  the  city  was  stopped,  the  Boyles  rein- 
stated, and  the  city  wires  rebuilt.  Operator  John  Lenhart 
consented  to  accompany  the  Union  troops  now  gathering  at  the 
depot,  to  the  number  of  about  three  thousand,  to  meet  Buckner 
out  on  the  line  of  the  road,  and  they  went  under  Generals 
Sherman,  Rousseau  and  Johnston  that  night  to  the  Rolling  Fork 
of  Salt  River,  where  a  bridge  had  been  burned  by  order  of 
Buckner,  whose  plans  had  miscarried  by  reason  of  his  mishaps. 
He  withdrew  and  entrenched  at  Bowling  Green,  and  the  Union 
forces  halted  at  Muldraugh's  Hill,  three  miles  north  of  Eliza- 
'bethtown.  The  telegraph  was  intact  north  of  the  Federal 
position  and  south  of  Buckner's. 

During  Anderson's  command,  there  was  no  telegraph  at 
head-quarters  in  Louisville.  General  W.  T.  Sherman  succeeded 
General  Anderson  October  7,  and  spent  a  great  deal  of 
his  time  in  the  telegraph  office,  frequently  remaining  as  late  as 
midnight ;  but  about  the  1st  of  November  a  line  was  built  to 
his  office.     Sherman  was  himself  relieved,  about  the  middle  of 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  125 

November,  by  General  D.  C.  Buell,  whose  command  included 
Ohio,  Michigan,  Indiana,  and  Kentucky,  east  of  the  Cumber- 
land River,  and  Tennessee. 

In  casting  about  for  a  man  of  sterling  character,  unswerving 
loyalty,  executive  ability  and  an  intimate  knowledge  of  telegraph 
routes  and  men,  to  ijianage  the  military  telegraph  in  Kentucky, 
Captain  Stager,  who  had  recently  been  charged  with  the  man- 
agement of  all  military  telegraphs,  happily  decided  to  appoint 
Samuel  Bruch  to  the  position  of  Assistant  Manager.  This  was 
done  in  anticipation  of  active  work,  and  before  there  were  any 
military  lines  in  Kentucky  ;  hence,  Bruch's  duties  for  a  time 
were  principally  censorial.  In  October,  by  direction  of  General 
Sherman,  Bruch  built  the  first  military  telegraph  line  in  Ken- 
tucky. It  connected  Lexington  with  Mcholasville,  and  was 
fifteen  miles  long.  Camp  Dick  Robinson  lay  about  ten  miles 
south  of  Nicholasville. 

On  July  2d,  Lieutenant  (afterward  General)  William  Nelson 
established  this  camp  as  a  rendezvous  for  recruits.  General 
George  H.  Thomas  relieved  him  August  15,  and  there  organized 
the  first  brigade  and  nucleus  of  what  afterward  developed  into 
the  renowned  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  Here  General  Thomas 
prepared  to  confront  ZoUicofier,  who  was  south  of  Barboursville. 

There  were  established  in  Kentucky  up  to  November  15,  six 
military  telegraph  oflices,  conducted  by  ten  operators,  some  of 
whom  were  stationed  as  follows :  head-quarters,  Louisville,  H. 

B.  Spencer;  city  office,  E.  C.  Boyle;  Nicholasville,  F.  C.  Cook^ 
New  Haven,  D.  C.  Sellers  (November  19);  Lebanon  Junction, 

C.  H.  Griffith. 


From  April  25  to  November  15,  1861,  there  were  built  for 
military  telegraph  purposes  in  the  several  departments,  one 
thousand,  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  miles  of  line,  on  which 
were  one  hundred  and  six  offices,  worked  by  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three  operators  ;  eight  hundred  and  fifty-seven  miles  of 
this  line,  fifty-six  offices  and  eighty  operators,  were  outside  of 
the  Department  of  the  Potomac,  and  it  was  well  said  by  Mr. 
Stager  in  his  report  of  November  14,  that  ''in  many  instances  the 
wires  followed  the  march  of  the  army  at  the  rate  of  eight  to 
twelve  miles  per  day,  there  being  no  other  lines  of  communica- 


126  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

tion  upon  the  routes  where  these  lines  have  been  placed.  The 
capacity  of  the  telegraph  for  military  service  has  been  tested, 
and  in  aflfording  rapid  communication  between  the  War  Depart- 
ment, the  Commander-in-Chief  and  the  different  divisions  of  the 
army;  in  directing  the  movements  of  troops  and  the  transporta- 
tion of  supplies,  it  may  be  safely  asserted,  that  it  is  an  indis- 
pensable auxiliary  in  military  operations.  The  organization  of 
the  government  Telegraph  Department,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Secretary  of  War,  will  add  greatly  to  the  efficiency  of  this 
branch  of  the  service." 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  127 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE  CORPS  ORGANIZED.— BIOGRAPHICAL  MENTION.— A  VIEW 
OF  THE  TELEGRAPHS  SOUTH.— THE  FORT  MONROE  LINE.— 
THE  MONITOR  AND  MERRIMAC— THE  PENINSULAR  CAM- 
PAIGN.—A  VIEW  ALONG  THE  COAST.— BANKS'  DEFEAT  IN 
THE  VALLEY.— EXPERIENCE  OF  CAPTURED  OPERATORS- 
AFFAIRS  IN  WEST  VIRGINIA. 

McClellan,  upon  Scott's  retirement  in  the  fall,  became, 
under  the  President,  commander  of  all  the  armies.  A  new 
feature  in  their  conduct  seems  to  have  resulted,  viz.,  that  there- 
after the  armies  should  operate  in  concert  along  the  whole  line, 
from  Fortress  Monroe  to  New  Mexico,  and  in  that  way  make  it 
reasonably  certain  that  one  or  more  of  the  important  gateways 
to  the  South  would  be  thrown  open  to  the  Federals.  But  over 
a  territory  so  vast,  presenting  so  many  points  of  defense,  and 
defended  by  armies  so  numerous  and  brave,  concert  of  action, 
vital  as  it  was  to  the  Unionists,  was  clearly  impossible  without 
an  electric  tongue  to  convey  intelligence  and  speak  commands. 

The  telegraph  had  accomplished  much — had  given  evident 
satisfaction,  but  like  the  armies,  it  had  too  many  heads.  In  St. 
Louis,  Mr.  Stager  had  a  small  voice,  and  General  Fremont  a 
trumpet;  consequently  certain  lines  in  Missouri,  built  by  con- 
tract, cost  one  hundred  dollars  per  mile  along  railroads,  while  in 
West  Virginia,  far  from  railroads  and  in  a  mountainous  country, 
they  cost  but  forty-five  dollars.  It  was  also  discovered  that  the 
Government  telegraph  agents,  in  their  necessities,  were  compet- 
ing with  one  another  in  the  purchase  of  material.  Thus  the 
Government  bid  against  itself. 

VV^hile  Secretary  Cameron  was  considering  these  things, 
Amasa  Stone,  an  influential  citizen  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  a  con- 
versation with  him,  suggested  Mr.  Stager  as  the  best  man  to 
undertake  the  general  management  of  the  military  telegraph. 
October  16,  Assistant  Secretary  Scott  telegraphed  Stager  to  come 


128  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

to  Washington  and  submit  his  views,  which  he  did,  October  26, 
as  follows : 

"  I  submit  herewith,  for  your  consideration,  a  plan  for  organizing 
the  Telegraph  Department  for  Government  service,  to  be  under 
the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  The  appointment  of  a 
General  Manager,  whose  duties  shall  be,  under  the  advice  and 
approval  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  to  purchase,  transport  and  dis- 
tribute all  material  required  in  constructing,  maintaining  and 
operating  Gove^nment  telegraph  lines  ;  said  Manager  to  appoint  an 
assistant  for  each  military  district  or  department,  and  to  select  all 
operators,  repairers,  builders  and  others,  engaged  in  Government 
telegraph  service.  The  material  distributed  and  expense  incurred, 
to  be  charged  to  the  respective  military  districts  where  used  ;  the 
Manager  to  make  quarterly  returns  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  of 
property  on  hand  and  in  use.  The  issue  of  an  order  to  all  quarter-, 
masters  and  assistant  quarter-masters  to  fill  the  requisitions  prompt- 
ly, of  the  General  Manager  and  of  his  assistants,  on  a  proper  certificate 
for  the  same,  for  transportation,  subsistence,  equipments,  forage, 
etc.,  when  needed  for  the  prompt  prosecution  of  work  directed  by 
the  commanding  officer  of  the  district ;  also,  to  pay  all  bills  for  labor, 
transportation  and  material,  when  certified  by  the  General  Manager 
of  the  Telegraph  Department.  All  accounts  connected  with  this 
department,  to  be  certified  to  by  the  General  Manager.  The  Gen- 
eral Manager,  with  the  approval  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  to  fix  the 
grades  of  service  and  pay,  from  time  to  time,  as  exigencies  and 
public  interest  may  require.  *  *  The  General  Manager  to  arrange 
with  the  difi'erent  telegraph  companies,  for  special  or  extraordinary 
use  of  lines  and  offices,  on  terms  to  be  approved  by  the  Secretary 
of  War."  (To  which  Scott  here  added  :  "  In  case  of  emergency 
the  General  Manager  shall  take  possession  of  any  of  the  telegraph 
lines  that  may  be  required  for  public  service.")  "  Whenever  persons 
engaged  in  Government  telegraph  service,  or  detailed  for  work 
•where  ordinary  subsistence  can  not  be  obtained,  rations  will  be  fur- 
nished by  the  commissary  most  convenient,  and  the  cost  of  the 
same  to  the  Government  shall  be  deducted  from  the  regular  pay  of 
the  persons  receiving  rations.  I  recommend  the  following  grades 
and  pay  for  the  persons  employed  in  this  department,  subject  of 
course  to  modification  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  from  time  to  time, 
as  the  public  service  may  demand.  The  amounts  here  given,  to 
include  service  and  subsistence  : 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  129 

MiN.  Max. 

General  Manager 

Assistant  Manager $100  $175 

Chief  Operator 60  70 

Assistant  Operators 40  60 

Foreman  of  Construction 50  70 

Repairers 45  55 

Wire  Men 40  45 

Laborers... 30  40 

Messengers - 15  20 

*  *  *  The  Quarter-master  General  to  make  such  arrange- 
ments for  payment  as  will  meet  the  wants  of  the  service." 

This  paper  was  endorsed  as  follows  : 

War  Ditpartment,  Oct.  28,  1861. 
Respectfully  Referred  to  the  President  : 

The  Secretary  of  War  believes  it  to  be  a  necessity,  but  wishes 
your  views.  Mr.  Stager,  the  gentleman  who  will  deliver  this,  is 
now  in  charge  of  Government  lines  in  the  West,  having  been  placed 
there  by  General  McClellan,  and  well  calculated  to  perform  the 
duties.  His  connection  with  all  leading  lines  will  be  of  service. 
If  you  approve,  arrangements  will  be  made  at  once. 

Very  truly,        Thos.  A.  Scott, 

Asst,  JSec. 

Executive  Mansion,  Oct.  28,  1861. 
I  have  not  sufficient  time  to  study  and  mature  an  opinion  on 
this  plan.     If  the  Secretary  of  War  has  confidence  in  it,  and  is  sat- 
isfied to  adopt  it,  I  have  no  objections.  A.  Lincoln. 

Approved  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  Simon  Cameron. 

It  will  be  observed,  that  Mr.  Stager,  in  the  foregoing  plan, 
made  no  suggestion  for  military  rank  for  any  one.  Indeed  a 
military  commission  was  not  considered  until  Quarter-master 
General  Meigs  insisted  upon  it  as  necessary,  before  he  could 
honor  Mr.  Stager's  requisitions  for  money  and  supplies.  In 
peace  times  this  would  have  proved  a  great  obstacle,  because 
there  was  no  more  law  for  such  an  appointment  than  there  was 
for  commissioning  every  operator  in  the  service,  in  like  manner; 
the  only  difference  consisted,  not  in  the  legal  view,  but  in  the 
requirements  of  the  service.  No  body  ever  deemed  it  necessary 
9 


130  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

or  even  proper,  that  operators,  as  such,  should  be  quarter-mas- 
ters, and  yet  there  were  times  when  they  suffered  because  they 
were  not.     Meigs^  views  prevailed,  as  the  following  shows  : 

War  Department,  Nov.  11,  1861. 

Major  Garesche,  Act.  Adj.  Gen.: 

Please  make  letter  of  appointment  for  Anson  Stager,  Esq.,  as 
Brigade  Quarter-master.  This  was  arranged  by  the  Quarter-master 
General  and  the  Secretary  of  War  before  they  left.  Mr.  Stager  is 
to  be  detailed  as  General  Superintendent  of  Government  Telegraphs 
in  all  the  departments,  and  will  in  future  attend  to  the  organization 
of  that  Department.         Very  respectfully, 

Thos.  a.  Scott,  Asst.  Sec.  of  War, 

War  Department,  Washington,  Nov.  11,  1861. 
Sir  :  You  are  hereby  informed  that  the  President  of  the  United 
States  has  appointed  you  Assistant  Quarter-master  of  Volunteers, 
with  the  rank  of  Captain  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  to 
rank  as  such  from  the  eleventh  day  of  November,  1861.  Should 
the  Senate,  at  their  next  session,  advise  and  consent  thereto,  you 
will  be  commissioned  accordingly.  *  *  Should  you  accept, 
you  will  at  once  report  in  person,  for  orders,  to  the  Quarter-master 
General,  U.  S.  A.  Thos.  A.  Scott,  Act.  Sec.  of  War. 

To  Captain  Anson  Stager,  A.  Q.  M.  Vols. 

Hd.-Qrs.  of  the  Army,  Washington,  Nov.  25,  1861. 
Adjutant  General's  Office. 
Special  Orders,  No.  313. 

Captain  Anson  Stager,  A.  Q.  M.  is  assigned  to  duty  as  General 
Manager  of  the  Telegraph  lines.  Upon  Captain  Stager's  requisi- 
tion, or  that  of  his  assistants  in  their  respective  military  depart- 
ments, commanding  officers  will  furnish  the  employes  in  the  field, 
connected  with  the  telegraph  hnes,  with  rations  in  kind  and  shelter, 
such  as  is  allowed  to  other  government  employes.  Commanding 
officers  will  also  give  such  aid  as  may  be  necessary  in  the  construc- 
tion and  repair  of  telegraph  lines  in  the  country  in  which  troops 
are  operating.         Bv  command  of  Major  General  McClellan. 

J  J.  Thomas,  Adjutant  General. 

Captain  Stager  soon  discovered  that,  in  sending  to  distant 
assistants,  large  sums,  often  amounting  to  one  hundred  thousand 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE    UNITED    STATES.  131 

dollars,  for  which  he  obtained  no  recognizable  receipt  until  the 
signed  vouchers  of  employes  were  obtained,  he  was  running  too 
much  risk.  Moreover,  quarter-masters  complained  that  there 
was  no  lawful  warrant  for  their  recognizing  the  requisitions  of 
his  civilian  assistants,  and  consequently  he  obtained  commissions 
for  them,  as  follows  :  Major  Thos.  T.  Eckert,  Department  of  the 
Potomac,  July  lY,  1862,  Captain  T.  B.  A.  David,  Department 
of  West  Virginia,  July,  1862;  Captain  Samuel  Bruch,  Department 
of  the  Ohio,  August  8, 1862  ;  Captain  Randall  P.  Wade,  Purchas- 
ing Agent,  about  September  28, 1862  ;  Captain  Chas.  H.  Bulkley, 
Department  of  the  Gulf,  January,  1863  ;  Captain  George  H. 
Smith,  Department  of  Missouri,  September,  1862 ;  Captain  Wil- 
liam G.  Fuller,  Department  of  Tennessee,  October  27,  1862 ; 
Captain  John  C.  VanDuzer,  Department  of  the  Cumberland, 
October  27,  1862  ;  Captain  William  L.  Gross,  Department  of 
Ohio,  October  27,  1862  ;  Captain  Lemuel  F.  Sheldon,  Depart- 
ment of  the  South,  October  31,  1863  ;  Captain  James  R.  Gil- 
more,  Department  of  the  South,  November  3,  1864.  These  were 
all  assigned  to  service  as  assistant  quartermasters.  Captain 
Stager,  in  anticipation  of  these  appointments,  was  commis- 
sioned Colonel,  February  26, 1862,  and  attached,  as  aide-de-camp 
to  the  Secretary  of  War,  but  in  April,  1863,  owing  to  ill  health 
from  overwork,  he  took  permanent  quarters  at  Cleveland,  Ohio  ; 
he  was,  however,  frequently  in  personal  attendance  at  various 
military  points. 

In  these  arrangements  the  operator,  who  braved  nearly  all 
the  dangers  incident  to  the  service,  was  left  a  mere  civilian  ;  only 
a  quarter-master's  employ^,  liable  to  draft,  his  salaiy  taxed, 
and  he,  surrounded  by  all  the  paraphernalia  of  war,  to  the  con- 
duct of  which  he  was  so  essential,  was  without  rank,  name  or 
position,  subject  to  the  unkind  cuts  of  the  envious,  but  thor- 
oughly appreciated  by  the  President,  his  cabinet  and  the  gen- 
erals. 

Thus  organized,  the  United  States  Military  Telegraph  became 
the  medium  of  communication  by  which  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  armed  men  were  directed  from  point  to  point,  commissary, 
subsistence  and  ordnance  stores  ordered,  and  the  innumerable 
necessities  of  great  armies  made  known,  as  well  as  the  story  of 
their  victories  and  defeats.     A  word  now  about  its  chief. 


132  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

Anson  Stager. 

Replete  as  is  the  telegraph  history  in  America  with  the 
names  of  successful  devotees  of  that  science  and  art,  probably 
none  of  them  have  had  such  steady,  conservative  and  well 
grounded  prosperity  as  Anson  Stager.  His  has  been  no  fitful, 
spasmodic  advancement,  nor  the  preferment  of  wealthy  relatives, 
but  the  result  rather  of  methodical  attention  to  duty  undertaken. 
As  an  operator,  he  soon  became  an  appreciative  and  attentive 
expert.  In  his  day  at  the  key,  none  excelled  him,  either  in  pre- 
cision or  rapidity.  It  was  while  in  the  foremost  rank  as  an  op- 
erator that  he  was  invested  with  executive  departments,  the 
management  of  which  brought  new  confidence  and  increased  re- 
sponsibilities. These  multiplied  with  the  astonishing  increase  of 
telegraphic  business  and  the  facilities  therefor,  until  he  became  a 
leading  executive  head  of  the  most  gigantic  telegraph  company 
the  world  ever  produced.  The  history  of  his  success  since  the 
rebellion  is  beyond  the  purview  of  this  work,  and  therefore,  not- 
withstanding it  would  give  valuable  hints  to  others  seeking  hon- 
orable preferment  by  first  deserving  promotion,  it  must  be  left 
to  others. 

Anson  Stager  was  bom,  April  20,  1825,  in  Ontario  County, 
New  York.  While  but  a  boy,  he  began  to  learn  the  printer's 
art  in  the  office  of  Henry  O'Reilly,  in  Rochester,  New  York. 
That  he  succeeded  well,  those  who  know  his  subsequent  career 
need  not  be  told,  for  General  Stager  is  but  a  development  of  the 
boy  he  was  ;  conversely  stated,  he  is  a  strong  illustration  of  the 
adage,  that  "the  child  is  the  father  of  the  man."  But  " there's 
a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends,"  so  largely  are  we  ''creatures 
of  circumstance,"  and  so  it  was  with  young  Stager,  for  when 
fairly  embarked  in  the  business  of  his  first  choice,  a  novel  factor 
in  business  affairs  induced  a  new  ambition.  This  was  when 
Stager  had  just  reached  his  majority  (1846)  and  but  two  years 
after  Morse  had  demonstrated  the  practicability  of  his  system 
of  telegraphing ;  a  time  when  capitalists  were,  however,  full  of 
doubts  and  misgivings.  Henry  O'Reilly  became  enthusiastic 
over  the  telegraphic  outlook,  and  induced  his  protege  to  follow 
him  into  this  undeveloped  business  enterprise.  O'Reilly  con- 
nected Philadelphia  with  Harrisburg,  and  in  the  fall  of  1846, 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE  UNITED   STATES.  133 

Mr.  Stager  assumed  charge  of  his  first  office,  viz.,  at  Lancaster 
on  this  line.  Pittsburgh  was  added  to  the  circuit,  and  after  a 
short  service  at  Lancaster,  Stager  assumed  the  management 
of  the  operating  room  in  the  former  city. 

By  this  time,  every  considerable  town  was  seeking  tele- 
graphic connection,  and  the  O'Keilly  lines  were  pushed  over  a 
vast  expanse  of  territory,  north,  west  and  south.  Cincinnati 
became  a  repeating  station  of  great  importance,  and  Stager's 
success  at  Pittsburgh  made  his  promotion  to  a  like  position  at 
Cincinnati  a  matter  of  course.  He  had  now  come  to  the 
front  rank  among  the  manipulators  of  the  key  and  comprehended 
what  was  then  known  of  the  science.  With  that  science  he  has 
kept  pace,  even  doing  much  to  develop  its  phenomena.  It  was 
he  who  first  economized  batteries  by  charging  many  wires  at 
the  same  time  from  one  source.  He  also  connected  long  lines, 
thus  saving  time  and  risk  of  repetition  of  messages.  These 
things  are  now  so  commonly  done  as  to  excite  no  attention, 
but  in  their  origin  they  evidenced  individuality  and  originality 
which  gave  Mr.  Stager  much  prestige. 

While  thus  serving  at  Cincinnati,  the  New  York  &  Missis- 
sippi Valley  Company's  lines  were  projected,  connecting  Buf- 
falo, New  York,  with  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  Mr.  Stager  was 
made  general  superintendent  thereof.  An  eastern  outlet  to  New 
York  City  was  leased  the  following  year  (1852).  A  short  time 
after,  under  the  inspiration  of  other  Rochester  men,  the  West- 
ern Union  Telegraph  Company  was  organized,  and  (1856)  many 
other  companies  were  glad  to  consolidate  their  doubtful  inter- 
ests with  it.  Thus  that  company  may  be  said  to  have  begun  its 
entity  by  a  systematic  efibrt  to  control  the  field ;  a  purpose  it 
never  relaxed,  for  with  building  and  leasing,  it  now  practically 
controls  the  telegraphic  facilities  of  a  continent. 

Mr.  Stager  has  been  identified  with  this  growth  from  its  ear- 
ly efibrts  until  recently.  As  its  general  superintendent,  in  1856 
he  located  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  applied  himself  with  zeal  to 
the  restoration  of  the  impaired  lines  and  to  the  negotiation  of 
contract  rights  with  various  railroad  companies,  whereby  their 
interests  were  greatly  subserved  and  his  own  company  enabled 
to  overcome  opposition  and  finally  become  impregnably  but- 
tressed in  the  commercial  and  other  interests  of  the  nation.     Al- 


134  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

though  at  the  beginning  of  the  rebellion  the  great  results  subse- 
quently produced  were  hardly  anticipated,  yet  it  is  true  that  they 
are  largely  the  natural  outgrowth  of  the  foresight  of  such  men 
as  Anson  Stager  and  J.  H.  Wade,  who  were  actively  engaged 
in  authoritative  positions,  laying  foundations  for  that  success 
which  since  the  war  has  found  demonstration  in  many  princely 
fortunes  for  the  stockholders,  who  up  to  the  time  of  the  war  had 
not  received  a  dividend. 

On  one  of  Stager's  many  trips  in  the  interests  of  his  com- 
pany, an  engine  on  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago 
Eailroad  broke  down  at  night,  nine  miles  from  an  office.  Stager 
cut  the  wire,  and  by  touching  the  ends  telegraphed  to  Pittsburgh 
and  Brighton  for  another  engine.  By  fixing  one  end  of  the  line 
above  and  the  other  beneath  his  tongue,  which  he  projected  out 
to  view,  the  electric  pulsations  gave  it  a  vibratory  movement, 
similar  to  that  of  a  telegraph  armature,  which  is  often  used  to 
read  from.  Thus  Mr.  Stager  could  see  and  read  the  involuntary 
oscillations  of  his  tongue,  as  one  can  those  of  an  armature, 
which  he  may  not  hear,  and  thus  he  received  reply  that  another 
engine  would  be  sent  at  once.  This  feat  has  not  ceased  to  be 
remarkable,  even  in  the  light  of  frequent  electric  surprises.  It 
was  while  he  was  superintendent  of  this  company,  which  posi- 
tion he  did  not  resign,  that  Governor  Dennison  of  Ohio,  tele- 
graphed him  to  come  to  Columbus  to  consult  about  assuming 
military  control  of  the  telegraphs  in  that  State.  Governors 
Morton  of  Indiana  and  Yates  of  Illinois  thereupon  invested  Mr. 
Stager  with  like  authority  over  the  lines  in  their  States,  and 
about  the  same  time,  as  already  shown.  General  McClellan,  at 
Cincinnati,  appointed  him  manager  of  all  lines  in  his  department. 

Such  is  a  r^sum^  of  the  career  of  the  chief  officer  of  the 
Telegraph  Corps,  who  remained  at  its  head  throughout  the  war. 

Confederate  States  Telegraph  Advantages. 

Of  course,  an  agency  so  potent  in  war  as  the  telegraph,  could 
could  not  be  overlooked,  but  the  Confederates  appear  not  to 
have  regarded  it  as  so  essential  as  did  the  Federals.  Early  in 
the  war,  the  South  had  resources  enough  for  extending  the 
telegraph  from  main  line  offices  to  all  of  her  armies;  but  this 
was  not  done  in  Western  Virginia,  South-western  Kentucky  or, 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  135 

to  any  great  extent,  in  Missouri.  There  were,  as  we  have  seen, 
in  1861,  but  two  leading  telegraph  companies  in  the  Confederate 
States,  the  American  and  South-western.  J.  K.  Dowell  was 
general  superintendent  of  the  Southern  division  of  the  American 
Company's  lines,  and  on  the  beginning  of  hostilities,  it  is  said, 
by  his  advice,  Dr.  William  S.  Morris,  a  director  in  the  company, 
assumed  charge  as  president,  and  the  corporate  name  was 
changed  to  the  Southern  Telegraph  Company.  Dr.  Norvin 
Green  was  president  and  John  Van  Home  general  superintend- 
ent of  the  South-western  Telegraph  Company.  Judge  Reagan 
was  President  Davis's  Postmaster  General,  and  on  the  plea  of 
military  necessity,  was  placed  in  charge  of  all  the  lines  in  the 
South,  but  interfered  with  the  private  management  thereof,  as 
a  rule,  only  as  military  purposes  required.  The  knowledge 
of  this  power,  if  nothing  else,  generally  made  more  than  nom- 
inal control  unnecessary. 

By  an  act  of  the  Confederate  Congress,  July,  1861,  the 
President  was  authorized  to  seize  all  telegraph  lines,  and  appoint 
agents  to  supervise  all  communications  passing  over  them,  and 
forbid  all  telegrams  in  cipher  and  such  others  as  were  of  an 
enigmatical  character.  Whenever  a  military  superintendent's 
services  were  required  at  Richmond,  Dr.  Morris  appears  to 
have  received  the  appointment. 

Soon  after  the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson,  Nashville  was 
evacuated,  and  Doctor  Green  returned  to  Louisville  to  manage 
his  company's  interests  within  the  Union  lines,  where  he 
remained  till  the  war  was  over.  Mr.  Van  Home  stayed  South, 
and  acted  as  president  of  the  company  within  the  Confederate 
lines. 

There  was  no  such  thing  as  a  military  telegraph  organization 
in  the  South,  except  at  a  few  local  points.  General  Beauregard 
had  a  regularly  organized  system,  with  a  full  corps  of  operators, 
in  and  around  Charleston;  J.  W.  Kates  being  superintendent 
until  he  went  to  Shiloh  with  Beauregard,  leaving  W.  R.  Cath- 
cart  in  charge.  Mr.  Kates  was  chief  operator  with  Beauregard 
until  near  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  took  a  boat  ride  with 
some  friends  and  was  overhauled  by  the  Yankees. 

The  private  companies  aimed  to  do  the  military  telegraphing, 
even  with  the  armies,  and,  to  a  great  extent,  succeeded.     A  few 


136  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

operators  took  service  at  the  head-quarters  of  the  commanding 
officers  and  had  a  sort  of  military  status,  but  they  had  very  little 
to  do  in  the  Western  departments,  except  when  head-quarters 
happened  to  be  at  some  small  station,  where  the  company's 
operator  was  not  able  to  do  the  work.  It  was  quite  usual, 
however,  for  operators  to  be  associated  with  the  principal 
calvary  chiefs;  many  as  aides,  yet  others  were  soldiers.  Indeed, 
owing  to  the  Northern  operators  leaving  when  the  war  began, 
and  the  enlistment  of  Southern  operators  in  the  armies,  there 
was  soon  felt  a  great  lack  of  such  talent,  and  the  only  remedy 
lay  in  detailing  operators  from  the  ranks,  which  was  done. 

One  of  the  first  military  lines  built  in  the  Confederate  States, 
viz.,  from  Pensacola,  Florida,  nine  miles,  to  General  Bragg's 
head-quarters  in  the  rear  of  the  navy  yard  and  Fort  Barrancas, 
was  thus  operated,  under  the  management  of  J.  G.  Thornton, 
manager,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Pensacola  Telegraph 
line,  whose  president,  Ch.  Le  Baron,  while  acting  as  aide-de- 
camp to  Bragg,  was  wounded  at  Shiloh.  The  operators  detailed 
for  service  on  this  line  were  William  H.  Cody,  a  private  in  a 
Mississippi  company,  and  George  McCann,  private,  Seventeenth 
Alabama  regiment. 

There  had  been  much  ante  'bellum  rivalry,  and  consequent 
friction,  between  the  American  and  South-western  companies, 
which  the  severance  of  their  respective  heads  did  not  remedy, 
and  it  was  believed  that  Doctor  Morris  was  largely  instrumental 
in  obtaining  an  order  for  the  seizure  of  the  South-western 
Telegraph  Company's  property  within  the  Confederacy,  on  the 
ground  that  its  officers  were  Unionists.  The  order  was  issued 
in  September,  1862,  when  a  Mr.  Caldwell  was  appointed  military 
superintendent,  with  directions  to  possess  himself  of  all  of  its 
property  and  receipts.  He  established  himself  in  Chattanooga, 
and  issued  his  commands  to  the  managers  of  all  offices  before 
Van  Home  knew  of  the  appointment.  At  this  time  John  B. 
Morris  was  operator  at  Jackson,  the  capital  of  Mississippi.  He 
requested  Governor  Pettus,  to  intercede  in  behalf  of  the 
company.  Pettus,  thereupon,  telegraphed  President  Davis  to 
know  the  cause  of  the  action,  and  received  the  following  reply  : 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  137 

Richmond,  Va.,  Sept.  11,  1862. 
Gov.  Pettus,  Jackson,  Miss.: 

The  action  was  taken  on  suggestion  of  telegraph  companies, 
and  is  designed  to  protect  the  Confederate  States,  and  to  secure 
the  receipts  to  the  true  and  loyal  owners.  The  president  of  the 
company  is  with  the  enemy,  and  the  company  is  not  in  condition  to 
fulfill. its  purposes.  (Signed)  Jefferson  Davis. 

This  exposed  the  scheme,  which  Van  Home,  well  seconded 
by  others,  was  able  to  frustrate.     The  order  was  rescinded. 

Fort  Monroe  Line. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  war,  great  interests  centered 
about  Fortress  Monroe,  the  Federal  stronghold  in  South-east 
Virginia,  commanding  the  entrance  to  the  James  River,  which 
was  navigable  to  Richmond.  This  fortress  was  like  a  thorn  in 
the  side  of  the  Confederacy,  and  nearer  its  heart  than  any  other 
permanent  Federal  lodgment.  It  had  been  the  base  of  Union 
operations  in  that  neighborhood,  and  was  to  be  the  rendezvous 
of  many  military  and  naval  expeditions.  When  Manager 
Gilmore  succeeded  Strouse  about  Washington,  Richard  O'Brien 
took  charge  at  the  fortress.  General  Butler,  having  arranged 
to  act  in  concert  with  Admiral  Farragut  for  the  capture  of  New 
Orleans,  was  succeeded  in  command,  on  the  18th  of  August, 
1861,  by  General  Wool.  While  General  Butler  was  in  com- 
mand, he  seriously  contemplated  a  direct  movement,  in  force, 
from  this  fort,  on  Richmond,  and  while  General  McClellan  was 
organizing  his  forces  about  Washington,  and  so  placing  them  as 
to  indicate  an  intention  to  march  direct  against  the  enemy  in  his 
front,  he  was,  in  fact,  secretly  cogitating  over  the  idea  of  quickly 
transferring  this  army  by  water  to  Urbana,  on  the  Rappahan- 
nock, or  Yorktown,  on  the  York  River. 

While  these  two  points  were  under  consideration,  it  was  de- 
termined to  build  a  telegraph  line  to  Fort  Monroe.  Two  routes 
presented  themselves,  the  first,  suggested  by  Captain  Stager  and 
preferred  by  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  War,  was,  to  extend  the 
line  then  working  from  Washington  to  Budd's  Ferry  (fifty-three 
miles),  to  Port  Tobacco  and  Point  Lookout  (seventy  miles)  and 
thence  by   submarine   cable  in  the   Chesapeake  Bay  (seventy 


138  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

miles)  to  Fort  Monroe.  This  route  was  impracticable  for  want 
of  cable,  wliich  was  not  then  manufactured  in  this  country  to 
any  considerable  extent,  and  there  was  no  time  to  wait  for  it. 
The  second,  which  was  adopted,  was,  to  extend  the  Government 
line  from  Lewes,  Del.,  ma  Salisbury  to  Cape  Charles,  thence  by 
cable  across  the  Chesapeake  (twenty  miles).  The  Lewes  line 
connected  with  Wilmington  via  Dover,  and  was  built  in  the  fall 
of  1861. 

The  Fort  Monroe  line  was  begun  about  the  middle  of  Janu- 
ary, 1862,  and  completed  on  the  5th  of  February  to  Cape 
Charles,  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  miles  from  Wilmington,  at 
which  latter  place  it  connected  with  the  American  Company's 
lines  running  to  Washington.  By  the  use  of  a  repeating  instru- 
ment at  Wilmington,  the  line  was  practically  one  circuit  to  the 
War  Department.  Until  the  cable  was  laid  by  W.  H.  Heiss, 
shortly  after,  a  dispatch  boat  plied  across  the  channel  in  three 
hours. 

Having  now  some  idea  of  the  military  telegraph  situation  in 
Virginia  and  the  South,  let  us  again  recur  to  the  field  of  arms. 

Affairs    about   Fort   Monroe  ;      The    Monitor   and 

Merrimac. 

O'Brien's  eflforts  to  keep  up  his  line  to  Newport  News  was 
somewhat  vexatious,  owing  to  the  rebels  so  frequently  carrying 
off,  by  night,  half  a  mile  or  so  of  wire.  Even  day  incursions 
were  not  unusual.  On  one  occasion,  in  February,  he  and  his 
little  brother,  John,  assistant  operator  at  the  fort,  not  yet  four- 
teen years  old,  accompanied  by  a  few  .negro  repairers,  on  the 
road  toward  Newport  News,  saw  in  the  dim  distance  toward 
Newmarket  a  cavalry  force  charging  down  towards  them.  It 
being  suggested  that  they  were  rebels,  the  darkies  took  to  the 
woods  and  did  not  stop  running  until  they  reached  Old  Point 
Comfort.  Young  O'Brien  sought  to  lead  them,  but  he  was  soon 
outstripped.  He  rejoined  his  brother,  who,  awaiting  the  coming 
of  the  horsemen,  found  them  Federals. 

Probably  John  O'Brien  was  the  youngest  operator  ever  in  the 
United  States  Military  Telegraph  service.  He  had,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1862,  had  three  years  experience,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
an  expert  in  the  art.     General  Wool  was  greatly  surprised  when 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  139 

he  saw  the  boy  receive  by  sound,  which  he  was  doing  when 
Wool  first  met  him. 

Fortress  Monroe  was  becoming  monotonous,  when  a  new  ele- 
ment began  to  obtrude  itself.  Kumors  of  a  floating  monster 
absolutely  bomb  and  ball  proof,  came  by  contrabands  from  Nor- 
folk, on  the  Elizabeth  River.  They  were  soon  verified,  and  not 
long  after,  tested.  Daily,  field-glasses  swept  Sewell's  Point, 
Craney  Island  and  the  mouth  of  the  Elizabeth.  At  last,  about 
noon  on  the  8th  of  March,  against  the  sky  behind  Sewell's  Point, 
black  smoke  was  apparent,  which  moved  ominously  nearer  and 
nearer.  J.  O'Brien,  at  the  fort,  signaled  Newport  News,  which 
lies  across  the  river  where  the  Elizabeth  enters  the  James. 
George  D.  Cowlam,  a  detailed  member  of  Ellsworth's  famous 
Fire  Zouaves,  was  the  operator  there,  and  bravely  did  he  remain 
at  his  post.  Cowlam  answered  the  call ;  he  also  had  seen  the 
smoke.  The  hour  was  pregnant  with  great  events.  The  alarm- 
gun  signals  the  men  at  the  fort  to  their  pieces ;  the  long-roll 
beats  the  soldiers  to  arms  ;  the  naval  vessels  clear  for  action  ; 
then  over  the  waters  comes  the  sound  of  a  broadside.  But  see, 
is  not  the  '-''  Merrimac''^  a  monster  in  truth  f  Even  the  Sawyer 
gun  on  the  "  Rip  Raps,"  vindictive  and  thunderous,  is  at  work. 
Young  O'Brien  is  at  his  instrument,  safe  enough,  to  be  sure,  but 
full  of  anxiety  as  to  the  result.  Suddenly,  amid  the  deep  rever- 
berations of  the  heavy  guns,  his  strained  ear  catches  the  sharp 
click  from  the  sounder.  'Tis  Cowlam,  and  this  is  what  he  tele- 
graphs :  ' '  She  is  steering  straight  for  the  ' Cumberland '"  —  a 
pause —  "  The  '  Cumberland  '  gives  her  a  broadside  "  — waiting 
at  the  fort — ''She  keels  over"  —  suspense — "Seems  to  be 
sinking  "  —  anxious  watching  —  "  No  ;  she  comes  on  again  "  — 
great  anxiety —  "  She  has  struck  the  '  Cumberland '  and  poured 
a  broadside  into  her.  God  !  the  '  Cumberland '  is  sinking  "  — 
breathless  suspense — "The  'Cumberland'  has  fired  her  last 
broadside. " 

Thus  did  the  telegraph  picture  the  scenes  of  that  eventful 
day ;  some  visible  and  others  hidden  from  the  ramparts  of  the 
fort.  The  sorrow  depicted  on  the  countenances  of  the  brave  of- 
ficers at  the  fort  on  receipt  of  the  news  that  the  "  Cumberland  " 
had  fired  her  last  broadside,  passes  pen  picturing.  But  that  ca- 
lamity Avas  not  all.     The  "Congress"  grounded  near  the  News 


140  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

and  was  raked  by  the  "Merrimac"  and  her  wooden  consorts  — 
the  "Minnesota,"  grounded;  the  "  St.  Lawrence,"  grounded,  and 
the  "Roanoke,"  grounded.  Truly,  the  tide  was  setting  against 
the  Unionists.  It  was  a  dark  hour.  The  burning  "  Congress  " 
deepened  it.  Gallant  Cowlam  continued  at  his  instrument,  de- 
scribing each  new  phase  in  the  fight,  while  the  shells  shrieked 
about  his  quarters,  and  two  tore  through  his  office,  within  a  few 
feet  of  him  ;  but  there  was  the  same  steady  hand  at  the  key. 
At  ten  p.  M.,  the  little  "Monitor"  arrived.  Now  let  Richard 
O'Brien's  diary  tell  of  the  ninth : 

At  six  A.  M.,  the  "  Merrimac  "  was  seen  steaming  down  the 
Elizabeth  River.  General  Wool,  having  placed  the  fort  in  fighting 
trim,  rode  out  with  his  staff  through  Camp  Hamilton  and  the  ru- 
ins of  Hampton,  to  a  point  on  the  shore  nearest  the  "  Minnesota," 
which  was  still  aground.  I  accompanied  the  party.  The  "  Moni- 
tor," which  had  arrived  the  previous  night,  lay  under  the  shadow  of 
the  "Minnesota,"  and  seemed  to  us  a  feeble  defense  to  lean  upon, 
against  the  invincible  monster  which  had  made  such  short  work  of 
two  of  our  finest  war  ships  the  previous  evening.  When  the 
"Merrimac  "  passed  Sewell's  Point  and  turned  towards  the  fort,  we 
were  about  to  hurry  back  to  help  receive  her,  but  when  near  the 
"Rip  Raps"  she  turned  again  and  came  straight  for  the  "Minne- 
sota," which  opened  fire  upon  her.  The  "  Merrimac  "  slowed  up  a 
moment,  as  if  to  make  out  what  the  strange  little  craft  could  be, 
when  Lieutenant  Worden  blazed  away  and  solved  the  question  for 
her.  She  quickly  responded.  They  both  "  let  slip  the  dogs  of  war," 
the  rebel  bulldogs  growling  from  every  port-hole,  and  the  little 
terrier  of  the  North,  more  active  than  her  unwieldy  antagonist, 
snarling  at  every  rib  of  the  larger  craft.  The  "  Monitor "  got 
around  more  quickly  than  the  "  Merrimac,"  and  tried  her  sides, 
quarters  and  stern,  but  every  shot  that  struck,  glanced  from  the 
greased  rails  into  the  air,  with  the  scream  of  a  baffled  demon.  The 
"  Merrimac  "  fired  rapidly  and  viciously,  but  seemed  equally  unable 
to  injure  her  antagonist,  and  so  turned  her  attention  again  to  the 
"Minnesota."  The  latter  discharged  a  broadside  at  her  without 
the  slightest  effect,  and  received  in  return  a  shell  from  the  bow  gun 
of  the  "  Merrimac,"  which  burst  in  the  officers'  quarters  and  set  the 
ship  on  fire.  Another  shot  struck  the  tug-boat  "  Dragon,"  which 
was  engaged  in  trying  to  haul  the  "  Minnesota  "  off,  passing  through 
and  bursting  its  boiler.     A  terrific  fire  was  kept  up  by  the  "  Minne- 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  141 

sota  "  from  every  gun  that  could  be  brought  to  bear.  A  third  shelJ 
passed  over  the  "  Minnesota "  and  burst  unpleasantly  near  us. 
Before  she  could  fire  again,  the  "  Monitor  "  had  gotten  between  the 
"  Merrimac  "  and  the  "  Minnesota,"  forcing  the  former  to  change 
her  base,  in  doing  w^hic^,  she  got  aground,  but  soon  swung  oif  and 
headed  for  the  "  Rip  Raps,"  with  the  "Monitor"  close  at  her  heels. 
They  had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  the  "  Merrimac  "  turned 
around  suddenly  and  tried  to  run  into  the  "  Monitor."  The  latter 
made  a  very  narrow  escape,  the  great  prow  of  the  "  Merrimac  " 
leaving  an  ugly  scar  on  her  iron  armor.  They  then  pounded  away 
at  each  other  for  some  time,  when  the  "  Monitor  "  drew  oflf  towards 
the  fort.  We  feared  she  had  received  serious  injury.  The  "  Mer- 
rimac," with  her  consorts,  the  "  Jamestown  "  and  "  Yorktown  "  (or 
"  Patrick  Henry  "),  which  had  thus  far  kept  at  a  respectful  dis- 
tance, now  started  towards  the  "  Minnesota,"  which  we  felt  sure 
was  doomed.  They  changed  their  course,  however,  for  some  unac- 
countable reason,  and  heading  up  the  Elizabeth  River,  left  us,  for 
this  day  at  least,  masters  of  the  situation. 

Great  was  the  joy  in  the  North  when  news  came  that  the 
''Monitor"  had  turned  the  current  of  afiairs  ;  but  greater  yet 
was  it  in  Washington,  where  boats  were  laden  with  stone,  to  be 
sunk  in  the  channel  in  case  the  "Merrimac"  destroyed  her 
adversaries. 

The  Peninsular  Campaign. 

The  army  of  the  Potomac  lay  in  and  around  Alexandria 
eight  whole  months  ;  to  its  right,  about  Harper's  Ferry,  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  was  sealed  up ;  to  its  left  was  the 
Lower  Potomac,  vexed  by  the  enemy's  batteries.  January  13, 
1862,  E.  M.  Stanton  succeeded  Cameron  as  Secretary  of  War. 

On  the  twenty-seventh.  President  Lincoln  directed  that  on 
the  22d  of  February  a  general  movement  of  the  land  and  naval 
forces  of  the  United  States  against  the  insurgent  States  should 
take  place,  and  that  especially  the  "army  at  or  about  Fort 
Monroe,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  army  of  Western  Vir- 
ginia, the  army  near  Mumfordsville,  Kentucky,  the  army  and 
flotilla  near  Cairo,  and  the  naval  forces  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  be 
ready  to  move  on  that  day. 

February  1,  McClellan's  army  contained  one  hundred  and 
ninety  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  six  troops  of  all  arms,  present 


142  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

for  duty.  Yorktown  was  decided  upon  as  the  point  from  which 
to  advance  upon  Richmond.  113  steamers,  188  schooners  and 
88  barges  were  collected  to  transport  121,500  men,  14,592 
animals,  1,150  wagons,  44  batteries  and  74  ambulances,  besides 
pontoon  bridges,  telegraph  materials  and  equipage,  etc.  The 
steamer  ''Commodore"  was  selected  for  McClellan's  use,  and  a 
telegraph  line  was  run  thereto  from  his  head-quarters  in  the  old 
Olub  House,  Washington.  By  this  wire  he  was  advised  con- 
stantly as  to  the  progress  of  shipping  the  army.  Jesse  H. 
Bunnell  was  the  operator  on  the  steamer,  and  A.  Harper  Cald- 
well and  C.  W.  Jacques  at  the  Club  House.  These  three  were 
McClellan's  operators,  and  Caldwell  was  chief  We  shall  meet 
them  often  hereafter,  especially  Caldwell,  who  remained  with 
the  head-quarters  of  the  Eastern  army  to  the  close  of  the  war, 
■earning,  by  his  ability  and  urbanity,  a  splendid  reputation.  Maj. 
T.  T.  Eckert  accompanied  the  army,  to  conduct  the  telegraphic 
operations.  Parker  Spring  and  L.  D.  McCandless,  under 
Eckert,  had  charge  of  the  construction  parties. 

Major  Eckert,  Colonel  Stager's  principal  assistant,  was  a 
man  of  energy,  tact,  perseverance  and  strong  purpose. 

His  jurisdiction  was  confined  to  Virginia,  except  for  a 
time  when  he  controlled  the  coast  telegraphic  operations  also, 
but  his  position  in  the  East,  mainly  at  the  War  Department, 
•especially  after  Colonel  Stager  removed  his  head-quarters  thence 
to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1863,  gave  him  a  prominence  in  military 
telegraphic  circles  which  his  ability  and  devotion  fully  justified. 
They  even  warrant  a  more  extended  personal  notice  than  we 
have  space  for. 

The  other  day,  two  men  fell  out  of  a  balloon,  while  a  third 
rose  to  a  great  height,  also  to  fall  soon  after  into  the  sea. 
That  well  illustrates  how  accidents  facilitate  the  rise  of  some 
men,  but,  like  the  lonely  aeronaut,  they  soon  sink  beneath  the 
waves  that  encompass  them  in  their  short  career.  Others  buffet 
the  elements  successfully,  because  they  are  well  ballasted,  and 
foresee  emergencies  for  which  they  prepare.  He  who  goes  out  up- 
on deep  waters  and  weathers  the  storms,  is  a  captain  whom  fol- 
lowers like  to  be  near,  even  as  the  soldier  prefers  to  fight  under 
generals  that  win  battles.  Thomas  Thompson  Eckert,  at  this  writ- 
ing, has  long  been  upon  the  deep  waters  of  life's  sea.    Many  are 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  143 

the  storms  he  has  encountered,  and  great  is  the  credit  he  has 
won,  while  making  a  name  that  crosses  the  continent,  and  gain- 
ing a  position  that  directs  the  telegraphic  facilities  of  the  United 
States  and  Canadas,  if  not  to  the  shores  of  England. 

He  was  born  in  St.  Clairsville,  Ohio,  April  23,  1825  He 
acquired  the  telegraphic  art  in  1848.  The  next  year,  he  was 
appointed  post-master,  at  Wooster,  Ohio,  and  united  the  tele- 
graph and  post-offices  there  under  his  management.  Thus  early 
he  set  an  example,  which  many  contend,  should  be  the  rule, 
instead  of  the  exception,  throughout  the  Union.  But  Eckert 
was  not  to  be  hampered  by  small  offices.  Parties  interested 
in  connecting  Pittsburgh  with  Chicago,  by  the  route  of  the 
Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad,  arranged  with  him 
to  superintend  the  construction  of  their  lines.  This  was  per- 
formed so  satisfactorily  that  the  ''Union  Telegraph  Lines"  peo- 
ple, owning  this  plant,  offered  him  its  superintendency.  This 
position  he  held  about  four  years,  when  (1856)  his  company  was 
merged  into  the  "  Western  Union,"  and  his  jurisdiction  enlarged. 
In  his  wider  field,  he  labored  zealously  for  about  three  years, 
exhibiting  many  of  those  qualities  which  his  later  years  and  in- 
creased opportunities  gave  full  scope  to,  and  with  proportionate 
results. 

In  1859,  Mr.  Eckert  removed  to  North  Carolina,  where  he 
was  superintending  the  operations  of  a  Gold  Mining  Company, 
when  the  war  began,  but  which  he  abandoned  for  a  Northern 
home,  pending  hostilities,  at  least.  Thus  he  was  free  to  engage 
in  any  service  wherein  he  could  best  serve  the  nation.  The  mil- 
itary telegraph  proved  his  affinity,  and  in  its  ranks  he  con- 
tinued to  the  close  of  the  war.  April  7,  1862,  he  was  commis- 
sioned major  and  aide-de-camp,  on  General  McClellan's  staff,  to 
forward  his  telegraphic  operations,  and  for  that  purpose  he  was 
now  with  the  army. 

McClellan  confronted  Magruder  about  the  5th  of  April,  near 
Yorktown.  Magruder's  force  was  about  one-tenth  of  his  adver- 
sary's, but,  deceived  as  to  the  topography  of  the  country  and 
the  number  of  Magruder's  increasing  force,  McClellan  laid  siege 
until  May  4,  when  the  enemy,  much  strengthened,  evacuated, 
and  thus  avoided  an  assault. 

Telegraph  lines  had  been  extended  to  all  the  Federal  head- 


144  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING    THE 

quarters  on  the  Peninsula,  including  Fort  Monroe,  twenty-seven 
miles,  and  Ship  Point,  twelve  miles  from  Yorktown.  Besides 
those  at  McClellan's,  there  were  at  this  time  with  the  army,  and 
on  the  line  of  communication  to  Washington,  the  following 
operators  with  McClellan's  army:  D.  B.  Lathrop,  H.  L.  Smith, 
John  Allen,  George  B.  Cowlam,  F.  A.  Lawrence,  E.  F.  Follett, 
Wilbur  F.  Halloway,  J.  Harvey  Nichols,  Thomas  Morrison, 
Theo  E.  Moreland,  T.  M.  Schnell,  J.  K.  Waite,  Joseph  Schnell, 
A.  C.  Schnell,  George  W.  Nail,  Chas.  A.  Tinker,  J.  H.  Emerick, 
W.  H.  Shreffler,  Crosby  J.  Eyan,  J.  B.  Norris,  H.  A.  Bogardus, 
M.  H.  Kerner  and  E.  H.  McGintey;  reinforced  in  June  by 
Thos.  Dolan,  F.  H.  Fonda,  J.  La  Bonte,  C.  H.  Lithgow,  E.  N. 
Eobinson,  O.  H.  Booth,  C.  L.  Snyder,  F.  A.  Stumm  and  G.  D. 
Wilkinson.  At  Fort  Monroe  were  the  O'Briens  and  George  D. 
Sheldon;  Cherrystone,  G.  W.  Baldwin;  Drummondstown,  Del- 
aware, P.  H.  Nunan;  Salisbury,  S.  E.  Magonigle  (June);  Lewes, 
John  Wintrup  to  June,  and  E.  Power,  Jr. ;  Harrington,  C.  M. 
Eoberts;  St.  Georges,  H.  P.  Eoyce;  Wilmington,  L.  A.  Eose, 
J.  W.  Hallum,  E.  Power,  Jr.  to  June,  John  Wintrup  and  T. 
M.  Schnell. 

The  operators  with  the  army  kept  McClellan  fully  advised  as 
to  all  operations  in  front.  It  was  worth  regiments  of  soldiers  to 
know  that  an  attack  on  any  point  of  McClellan's  lines,  many 
miles  long,  would  be  reported  in  time  to  be  promptly  met.  It 
was  worth  "a  mint  of  money"  to  the  people  of  the  North,  to 
receive  daily,  detailed  reports  of  operations  about  Yorktown; 
but  it  was  somewhat  dangerous  business  for  the  telegrapher  at 
the  front.  Parker  Spring  and  builders,  on  the  20th  of  April, 
while  building  a  line  toward  the  James,  were  driven  off  by  the 
enemy.  Emerick  and  Nail,  at  Eichardson's  head-quarters,  on 
the  left  of  Yorktown,  were  just  out  of  range  of  the  shells  ;  but 
the  operator  with  General  Porter  was  not  so  fortunate,  al- 
though unhurt.  A  shell  fired  from  a  Whitworth  gun  buried 
itself  in  the  ground  just  sixteen  feet  from  Nichols'  tent,  and 
exploding,  scattered  gravel  and  dirt  in  all  directions,  nearly 
blinding  the  operator.  General  Heintzelman  ran  to  Nichols' 
relief,  but,  happily,  no  help  was  required. 

Jesse  Bunnell  was  on  duty  alone  at  McClellan's  when,  after 
two  in  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  May,  various  telegraphic  posts 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  145 

began  sending,  in  rapid  succession,  startling  messages,  announc- 
ing the  evacuation  of  Yorktown.  And  now  the  telegraph  must 
move  this  great  army  in  pursuit.  Transmitting  orders  to  one 
point  and  another,  at  the  rate  of  forty  words  a  minute  to  any 
given  post,  was  the  work  of  the  operator;  and  so  well  was  it 
done  that  before  the  enemy  could  pass  Williamsburg,  scarce 
twelve  miles,  he  had  to  turn  and  fight.     It  was  a  glorious  start. 

War  always  produces  instances  of  diabolism.  Unhappily, 
this  was  not  to  prove  an  exception,  and  we  have  to  record  a 
cowardly  example  of  it. 

D.  B.  Lathrop,  a  bright  youth  from  Mount  Yernon,  Ohio,  a 
student,  of  cultivated  tastes,  who  would  walk  ten  miles  to  hear 
an  opera  or  a  lecture,  entered  the  telegraph  service  at  the  Navy 
Yard,  in  June,  1861,  and  remained  there  until  the  Fort  Corcoran 
office  was  open  in  August,  when  he  took  charge  of  that.  In 
September  and  October,  he  was  at  General  Smith's  head-quarters 
office,  and  in  November  at  Fort  Lyon,  where  he  stayed  until 
December,  when  he  took  the  Camp  Griffin  office — all  in  or  near 
Washington.  At  this  latter  office,  he  manipulated  the  telegraph 
key  until  McClellan's  army  was  ready  to  move  on  Yorktown, 
when  he  was  ordered  to  accompany  it.  He  and  his  comrade,  H. 
L.  Smith,  were  the  first  operators  to  enter  deserted  Yorktown, 
and,  naturally  enough,  he  hurried  to  the  late  Confederate  tele- 
graph office,  to  test  for  circuit  with  Richmond ;  but  the  wires 
were  cut  and  left  hanging  from  the  pole,  and,  in  going  to  the 
pole,  poor  Lathrop  stepped  on  one  of  the  many  torpedoes  buried 
thereabouts.  It  exploded,  tearing  one  leg  almost  oflT,  and  other- 
wise injuring  him.  In  distressful  agony  he  lived  but  a  few  hours, 
and  then  passed  away.  The  surgeon  in  charge  tried  to  adminis- 
ter stimulants,  which  Lathrop  persistently  refused,  saying  he  did 
not  want  to  die  drunk.  Sadly,  indeed,  the  operators  who  could, 
gathered  around  him  ;  but  mortality  could  not  stay  immortality, 
and  the  soul  of  that  cultivated  youth  passed  from  the  horrors  of 
war,  to  a  realization  of  unending  peace. 

The  operators,  to  evince  their  appreciation  of  their  meritori- 
ous and  genial  comrade,  and  to  assuage  grief  as  much  as  possi- 
ble, caused  his  body  to  be  sent  home,  escorted  by  two  fellow 
operators,  and  erected  a  monument  where  it  lies  interred. 

10 


146  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

Before  proceeding  up  the  Peninsula,  let  us  look  down  the 
Atlantic  coast. 

A  Parenthetical  View  of  the  Coast. 

August  29,  Forts  Hatteras  and  Clark,  commanding  the  Hat- 
teras  Inlet  to  Pamlico  Sound,  were  taken  by  a  naval  and  land 
expedition,  under  Com.  Stringham  and  General  Butler.  Then 
followed  Com.  DuPont  and  General  T.  W.  Sherman's  expedition 
against  the  coast  defenses  below  Charleston,  S.  C,  of  which 
hereafter. 

February  5,  1862,  another  naval  and  land  force,  commanded 
respectively  by  Com.  Goldsborough  and  General  A.  E.  Burnside, 
entered  Pamlico  and  Croatan  Sounds,  capturing  the  defenses 
thereabouts  and  many  prisoners.  A  few  days  after,  Newbern, 
Morehead  City,  Beaufort,  Washington,  Plymouth  and  Elizabeth 
City  were  taken,  and  Norfolk  itself  was  threatened  late  in  April. 
Burnside's  operations  on  land,  in  connection  with  McClellan's  on 
the  Peninsula,  made  Norfolk  untenable,  and  accordingly,  the  in- 
surgents evacuated  the  city,  and  re-inforced  the  army  confront- 
ing McClellan.  General  Wool  occupied  the  place  on  the  10th 
of  May,  and  also  the  Navy  Yard  and  Portsmouth,  without 
resistance. 

Sewell's  Point  and  other  defenses,  on  the  Elizabeth,  were  now 
doomed,  and  the  Virginia,  alias  Merrimac,  was  destroyed  by 
her  commander.  This  led  to  the  easy  opening  of  the  James 
River,  as  far  as  Fort  Darling,  only  a  few  miles  from  Richmond. 

Major  Eckert  was  now  directed  to  build  a  telegraph  from 
Newport  News  to  Portsmouth,  and  thence  to  Suffolk,  which  city 
the  Federals  also  occupied.  A  cable,  four  miles  long  was  laid 
across  the  James  to  Sewell's  Point,  and  thence  this  line  was  put 
up  to  Suffolk,  via  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth,  a  stretch  from  Fort 
Monroe  of  about  forty  miles.  Wilbur  F.  Hollow^ay  opened  the 
Norfolk  office  at  the  head-quarters  of  General  Mansfield,  and 
John  E.  O'Brien  was  sent  to  Suffolk.  His  brother,  Richard,  was 
subsequently  made  chief  operator  on  the  line,  and  also  located 
at  Norfolk.  Hollow^ ay  remained  at  Norfolk  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  doing  temporary  service,  however,  at  neighboring  head- 
quarters. 


civil  war  in  the  united  states.  147 

McClellan's  Operations  Resumed. 

The  telegraph  kept  pace  with  the  army.  At  times,  it  may- 
be said  ahnost  to  have  preceded  the  advance  ;  but  there  was  no 
great  obstacle  thereto,  except  the  objections  which  the  Confed- 
erates interposed.  Indeed,  their  own  line  was  not  altogether 
destroyed.  Between  Williamsburgh  and  Yorktown,  it  was 
nearly  intact. 

May  16,  the  line  was  broken  between  Yorktown  and  Will- 
iamsburg. Emerick  and  Dolan  volunteered  to  repair  it,  but 
having  no  horses,  they  had  to  walk  ten  miles  to  mend  the  wire. 
The  commanding  officer  at  Williamsburg  refused  leave  to  return 
without  an  escort,  as  the  country  was  infested  by  guerrillas, 
and  an  officer  had  been  ambushed  and  killed  on  the  road  the  day 
before  ;  but  taking  their  chances,  they  did  return  alone,  without 
meeting  a  human  being. 

When  Jacques  reached  White  House  Station,  on  the  Pamun- 
key  River,  where  the  railroad  leading  from  Richmond  to  West 
Point  was  struck,  he  felt  an  electric  current  from  the  Richmond 
telegraph  office,  but  before  an  instrument  could  be  attached,  ^he 
the  circuit  was  gone. 

Despatch  Station,  on  this  railroad,  was  selected  as  a  depot  of 
supplies,  and  railroad  rolling  stock,  brought  on  transports,  was 
placed  on  the  track  at  White  House,  the  new  base.  May  27. 
Moreland  and  Emerick  were  operating  at  Despatch  Station,  sixty 
miles  from  Yorktown.  Allen  and  Morrison,  sick  with  fever,  did . 
the  work  at  White  House,  while  lying  down. 

The  araiy  moved  slowly.  Two  weeks  after  the  evacuation, 
it  met  most  stubborn  resistance  fifty  miles  from  Yorktown, 
where  it  was  immured  in  the  swamps  and  poisoned  by  the  mala- 
ria of  the  Chickahominy.  It  is  said  that  there  were  fifteen  thou- 
sand soldiers  in  the  hospitals  at  Fort  Monroe,  Newport  News 
and  Yorktown.  At  this  time,  a  single  cord  ran  from  McClel- 
lan's office  to  Wilmington,  Delaware,  the  atlas  and  axis  of  the 
North,  whence  nerve  lines  of  electric  touch  radiated.  Wilming- 
ton was  in  truth  the  nerve  center.  Is  it  remarkable  that,  as  the 
news  of  the  sick,  dying  and  dead  loved  ones  shocked  the  sensi- 
bilities of  sympathetic  souls,  emotions  akin  to  despair  fevered 
and  rac  ked  the  brain  —  the  North  —  and  that  when  tidings  came 


148  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

that  the  army  lay  astride  a  treacherous  stream,  in  which  position 
thirty-five  thousand  soldiers  were  nearly  useless,  while  a  great 
struggle  progressed  along  the  south  bank,  the  head  ached  and 
paralysis  threatened  ? 

The  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  was  fought  May  31.  General  J.  E. 
Johnston,  having  discovered  that  the  Federal  army  was  in  two 
parts,  the  suddenly  swollen  Chickahominy  between  them,  sought 
to  destroy  that  portion  on  the  south  bank  before  the  other  could 
cross,  and  he  was  nearly  successful.  But  Sumner  succeeded  in 
crossing  Sedgwick's  division  ;  Johnston  was  severely  wounded  ; 
night  set  in,  and  the  army  saved. 

But  at  what  a  sacrifice  !  After  all,  liberty  costs  more  than 
any  thing  else,  except  slavery.  Listen  a  moment  to  Prince  de 
Joinville  (Orleans)  of  McClellan's  staff: 

Ah,  I  wish  that  all  those  who,  careless  of  the  past  and  urged 
on  by,  I  know  not  what  selfish  calculations,  who  have  encouraged 
this  fatal  slaveholder's  rebellion,  could  have  looked  in  person  upon 
this  fratricidal  strife.  I  could  ask,  as  a  just  punishment,  that  they 
should  be  condemned  to  gaze  upon  that  fearful  battle  field,  where 
the  dead  and  dying  were  piled  up  by  thousands.  What  varieties 
of  misery!  The  houses  were  too  few  to  contain  even  a  small  mi- 
nority of  the  wounded.  They  were  necessarily  heaped  up  around 
the  field.  Though  they  uttered  no  complaints,  their  exposure,  un- 
der the  burning  mid-day  sun  of  June,  soon  became  intolerable. 
Then  they  were  to  be  seen  gathering  up  what  little  strength  was 
left  in  them  and  crawling  about  in  search  of  a  little  shade.  I  shall 
never  forget  a  rose-bush  in  full  bloom,  the  perfumed  flowers  of 
which  I  was  admiring  while  I  talked  with  a  friend,  when  he  pointed 
out  to  me,  under  the  foliage,  one  of  these  poor  creatures,  who  had 
just  drawn  his  last  breath.  We  looked  at  one  another  in  silence, 
our  hearts  filled  with  the  most  painful  emotions.  Sad  scenes!  from 
which  the  pen  of  the  writer,  like  the  ejh  of  the  spectator,  hastens  to 
turn  away. 

Had  Fair  Oaks  been  the  conclusion,  instead  of  an  interlude, 
what  agony  would  have  been  prevented.  It  determined  nothing, 
and  the  next  day  came  Seven  Pines,  when  the  Confederates 
were  driven  pell-mell  over  the  ground  they  took  the  day  before, 
and  Hooker  advanced  within  four  miles  of  Richmond. 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE    UNITED   STATES.  149 

McClellan's  army,  June  14,  having  been  re-inforced,  num- 
bered one  hundred  and  fifteen  thousand,  one  hundred  and  two 
present  fof  duty.  General  Robert  E.  Lee  assumed  personal 
command  of  the  Confederate  forces  after  Johnston's  fall,  and 
Stonewall  Jackson's  troops,  flushed  with  victory,  hurried  down 
from  the  Snenandoah  Yalley,  increasing  the  Confederate  forces 
to  over  eighty  thousand  ;  but  McClellan  had  reason  to  believe 
them  stronger,  and  hence  determined  to  move  to  the  James 
River*  seventeen  miles  distant  from  Fair  Oaks. 

June  26,  was  fought  the  battle  of  Mechanicsville  ;  June  27, 
that  of  Gaines'  Mills,  to  which  place  Porter  had  retired  from 
Mechanicsville.  It  was  important  to  hold  his  position  north  of 
the  Chickahominy  until  night,  when  he  was  to  retire  towards  the 
James  and  destroy  the  bridges.  Jesse  Bunnell  had  been  tempo- 
rarily sent  to  Porter's  head-quarters  telegraph  office  at  Mechan- 
icsville, shortly  before  the  battle,  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
twenty-seventh,  in  falling  back  to  Gaines'  Mills,  having  no  horse, 
missed  the  main  line  of  movement  and  got  out  of  his  proper 
course.  About  one  p.  m.  ,  Porter  was  being  pressed  very  hard. 
At  this  hour  Bunnell  struck  a  road  along  which  a  telegraph  line 
was  strung ;  here,  also,  he  discovered  that  a  line  of  battle  was 
being  formed  for  a  stand  about  one  hundred  yards  to  the  rear. 
So  he  cut  the  telegraph  line,  and,  connecting  his  instrument,  sat 
down  behind  a  tree  and  called  "Mc,"  the  head- quarters  office 
call,  which  Caldwell  would  never  change,  no  matter  who  was 
commander.  Caldwell  was  prompt  to  reply.  McClellan  and 
the  officers  about  him  regarded  the  opening  of  telegraphic  com- 
munication at  that  point  and  moment  as  a  godsend.  Bunnell 
having  no  orderlies,  General  McClellan  sent  a  telegram  to  him 
to  stop  the  first  mounted  officer  or  soldier  passing  that  road,  and 
order  him  in  McClellan's  name  to  take  a  message  to  Gen.  Porter 
to  send  Bunnell  fifteen  mounted  orderlies,  and  to  communicate 
with  McClellan  at  once  by  telegraph.  This  was  done,  and  for 
several  hours  Bunnell  sat  very  close  to  that  tree  and  sent  and  re- 
ceived many  messages  as  to  the  progress  of  the  battle,  of  which 
Bunnell  was  himself  receiving  a  very  fair  sample.  The  roar  of 
contiguous  cannon,  the  crack  of  musketry,  the  Federal  cheers 
and  Confederate  yells,  added  to  the  bursting  of  unnumbered 
overshot  shells  and  the  zip,  zip  of  bullets,  and  the  solid  shot 


150 


THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 


crashing  through  the  trees,  were  not  favorable  to  telegraphing 
by  ear.  But  Bunnell  was  one  of  the  best  telegraphers  in  the 
country,  although  yet  in  his  teens.  Several  times  Porter  tele- 
graphed for  re-inforcements.  Longstreet  and  A.  P.  Hill  were 
not  easily  shaken  off.  At  two  p.  m..  Porter  telegraphed  for  aid 
and  Slocum's  forces  came  across  the  river.     An  hour  later,  other 

troops  were  crossed 
to  the  rescue,  for 
though  Porter  now 
had  thirty-five 
thousand  men  he 
was  hard  pressed. 
At  four  o'clock 
Jackson  had  come 
to  help  Hill  and 
Longstreet ;  then 
D.  H.  Hill  and 
Ewell  fell  upon 
Porter.  The  car- 
nage was  awful. 
It  seemed  as  if  no- 
thing human  could 
withstand  it  ; 
many,  aye  very 
many  were  killed. 
Bunnell's  orderlies 
were  brave  fellows; 
several  of  the  mes- 
sages he  handled 
were  bespattered 
NICHOLS'  office:  with   their    blood, 

and  he  was  obliged  to  forward  his  telegrams  to  Porter  by 
two  or  three  messengers,  as  several  were  shot  on  their  way. 
More  troops  were  required  and  more  answered  the  telegraphic 
call.     McClellan  was  fighting  the  battle  by  telegraph. 

What  confidence  to  repose  in  a  beardless  operator,  unhonored 
to  this  day. 

French  and  Meagher  came  in  the  nick  of  time.     Porter  was 
being  pushed  back  and  fugitives  were  rushing  for  the  bridges. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN  THE   UNITED  STANCES.  151 

The  whole  line  fell  back  and  Bunnell  with  it,  but  French's  and 
Meagher's  troops  rent  the  air  with  cheers  as  they  moved  against 
the  enemy,  who  now  recoiled,  not  knowing  how  near  success 
they  were.  At  eleven  o'clock  Bunnell  reached  McClellan's  head- 
quarters, and  that  night  Porter  crossed  and  blew  up  the  bridges. 
But  the  dead  and  wounded,  nine  thousand  Federals,  perhaps  as 
many  or  more  Confederates  ;  theirs  is  the  sad  story  of  war. 

During  this  day,  the  depot  at  the  White  House  was  aban- 
doned, and  telegraphic  communication  to  that  place  was  cut  off 
by  the  Confederates  at  eleven  a.  m.,  the  next  day,  leaving  the 
North  in  cimmerian  darkness.  Except  when  the  line  was  broken 
near  Williamsburg,  as  stated,  and  by  General  Stuart,  when  he 
made  his  raid  to  the  rear  of  McClellan's  army,  June  13,  commu- 
nication with  the  North  had  been  almost  uninterrupted  until  af- 
ter the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mills.  The  worst  news  is  oftimes  a  re- 
lief to  an  over-anxious  mind.  Mechanicsville  had  foretold  that 
a  climax  was  approaching.  Gaines'  Mills  was  duly  reported 
from  a  strictly  Federal  standpoint,  and  the  Northern  people 
hoped  that  the  next  news  would  hail  from  Richmond.  But  they 
remembered  Bull  Run  and  how  McDowell's  telegrams  had  pre- 
saged victory,  and  the  silence  that  followed,  owing  to  the  sup- 
pression of  news  at  the  War  Department,  then  the  shock  that 
came.  These  things  were  yet  fresh  to  them,  and  they  feared  an 
opening  of  the  old  wound.     It  was  opened. 

June  28,  the  Federal  army  was  en  route  for  the  James  ;  twen- 
ty-ninth, the  battle  of  Savage  Station  occurred;  thirtieth,  that 
of  Frazier's  farm  ;  July  1,  Malvern  Hill ;  second,  the  army 
reached  Harrison's  Landing  on  the  James,  and  there  it  lay  until 
August  14. 

Operator  Nichols  was  with  General  Sumner  during  his 
retreat  from  Seven  Pines  to  Harriscfn's  Landing.  The  field  line 
during  the  last  day's  stay,  ran  from  McClellan's,  at  Savage 
Station,  to  General  Smith's,  at  the  farther  end,  to  the  right  of 
the  railroad  near  Seven  Pines.  Sumner,  about  Seven  Pines, 
was  nearest  the  enemy.  On  retiring,  that  officer  directed 
Nichols  to  leave  the  wire  intact,  as  Smith  might  wish  to  com- 
municate with  McClellan.  When  Sumner  reached  the  railroad, 
he  found  General  Thomas  Wilson,  Chief  Commissary  of  the 
Amiy  of  the  Potomac,  and  immense  quantities  of  subsistence 


152  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

and  commissary  stores.  Sumner  wanted  to  talk  with  McClellan 
and  Smith,  but  Nichols  had  only  three  feet  of  wire  with  him, 
and  did  not  wish  to  ground  the  main  line,  thereby  cutting  off 
either  McClellan  or  Smith.  Accordingly,  with  General  Wilson's 
aid,  he  piled  up  hard-tack  boxes  to  the  top  of  the  telegraph  pole, 
and  opened  an  office  there  without  breaking  the  circuit.  This  office 
he  kept  open  for  several  hours  after  dark.  To  see  to  write,  he 
had  a  lantern,  but,  unfortunately,  it  afforded  the  enemy  an 
excellent  mark,  jwid  they  were  not  slow  to  open  their  artillery 
against  this  office.  The  cracker  boxes  sustained  considerable 
fire,  but  the  office  was  not  closed  until  ordered  by  Sumner. 
During  the  battle  of  Mechanicsville,  Nichols  bravely  hastened 
to  a  division  head-quarters,  four  miles  from  McClellan's,  where 
he  worked  an  instrument  just  in  the  rear  of  our  artillery,  which 
was  firing  all  the  time,  and  in  turn  receiving  the  enemy's  atten- 
tions. It  was  one  of  the  most  dangerous  positions.  Some 
distance  behind  him,  others  sought  the  protection  of  bales  of 
hay.     At  this  time  Nichols  was  under  eighteen. 

The  Peninsular  campaign  had  been  severe  on  the  Telegraph 
Corps.  One  was  killed  at  Yorktown.  Several  lay  there  sick; 
others  with  the  army  were  barely  able  to  hold  a  pencil.  C.  H. 
Buck  worked  at  General  Franklin's  office  when  too  sick  to  sit 
up.  Emerick  was  nearly  dead,  but  Frank  Stumm  would  some- 
how find  chickens  and  other  extras,  so  that  the  poor  fellow 
reached  home,  and  recovered. 

A  telegraph  builder  who  was  up  a  pole  when  a  Parrott  shell 
passed  just  under  him,  became  temporarily  insane  from  fright, 
and,  late  that  night,  aroused  his  fellows  by  brandishing  a  saber 
he  had  somehow  obtained,  and  with  which  he  was  stoutly  beat- 
ing off  imaginary  foes. 

It  is  said  that  near  Harrison's  Landing,  a  tent,  protecting  a 
number  of  the  telegraph  party  from  the  rain,  was  suddenly 
upset  by  a  shell,  sent  in  with  the  compliments  of  the  Confed- 
erates. 

Just  as  the  retreat  began,  a  darkey  was  sent  to  operator 
Embree  with  a  horse  and  ten  days'  provisions.  The  contraband 
stole  the  horse  and  provisions,  leaving  Embree  to  walk.  He 
walked  all  day,  and,  about  dark,  tried  to  harrow  a  horse  that 
was  standing  alone,  tied  to  a  tree.     After  a  short  ride,  a  great 


.        CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  153 

big  German  officer  galloped  up  to  him,  and,  in  thundering  tones, 
demanded  in  a  mixed  brogue,  "What  for  you  was  doing  mit 
mine  horse  ?  "  Embree  had  pressing  business  just  then  with  the 
crowding  soldiers,  and,  hurriedly  dismounting,  mingled  among 
them.     He  walked  in  peace  to  the  Landing. 


Turning  from  the  Peninsula,  let  us  examine  the  operations 
of  co-operating  forces. 

McDowell's,  Banks'  and  Fremont's  Operations. 

Prior  to  his  going  to  Yorktown,  McClellan  organized  his 
forces  into  corps  d^  armee^  commanded  respectively  by  McDow- 
ell, Sumner,  Heintzelman  and  Keyes;  a  fifth,  under  Banks,  to 
include  the  troops  in  his  department  along  the  Upper  Potomac, 
was  also  formed.  This  corps  was  to  open  and  protect  communi- 
cation over  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  and,  in  conjunction 
Avith  troops  to  Banks'  right,  to  guard  Maryland  and  Pennsyl- 
vania from  surprises  in  force  down  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and 
if  need  be,  lend  a  helping  hand  for  the  defense  of  Washington, 
while  McClellan  was  on  the  Peninsula.  March  11,  McClellan's 
authority  was  limited,  so  that  he  need  not  be  annoyed  pending 
his  own  great  operations,  and  General  Halleck's  command  was 
made  to  reach  east  to  Fremont's  department. 

Fremont  had  risen  again  to  the  surface,  and  was  placed  over 
the  newly  created  Mountain  Department,  the  west  side  of  which 
was  an  imaginary  north  and  south  line  running  through  Knox- 
ville,  Tennessee,  and  the  east  side  was  bounded  by  McClellan's 
Department  of  the  Potomac. 

T.  J.  Jackson  (better  known,  since  the  battle  of  Bull  Eun,  as 
Stonewall  Jackson)  was  in  command  of  the  Confederates  in  the 
Shenandoah,  with  head-quarters  at  Winchester.  About  the  1st 
of  January,  1862,  he  moved  against  Eomney;  but  the  force 
there  was  apprised  of  his  coming,  and  being  inadequate  for  the 
defense  of  the  place,  evacuated  it  at  midnight.  S.  G.  Lynch, 
since  brevetted  lieutenant  colonel  in  the  Telegraph  Coips,  was 
the  operator  at  Romney  at  this  time.  He  can  exhibit,  to  this 
day,  an  old  musket  and  his  telegraph  table,  which  he  brought 
off  with  him,  as  proof  that  he  fell  back  in  good  order.     On 


154  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

reaching  Springfield,  about  half  way  to  Green  Spring  Run,  he 
connected  his  instrument  with  the  line  and  reported  progress. 

Banks  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Harpers  Ferry,  and  Jackson, 
who  was  in  his  front,  occupying  Winchester  with  considerable 
force,  after  some  opposition  to  Banks'  progress,  left  there, 
March  11,  and  nioved  up  the  Valley.  Telegraph  lines  were 
working  to  Washington  from  Harpers  Ferry,  and,  under  L.  D. 
McCandless,  the  line  was  built  or  repaired  as  Banks  advanced 
on  Winchester.  Indeed,  by  the  use  of  a  hand  car,  found  on  the 
railroad  which  connected  the  Ferry  with  Winchester,  the 
builders,  at  some  personal  risk,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  place 
with  the  advance,  much  to  Banks'  surprise  and  gratification. 
R.  R.  McCaine  and  Frank  Drummond  opened  the  oflice,  and 
Winchester  became  a  part  of  the  telegraphic  union.  Shields 
and  Williams  commanded,  respectively,  the  two  divisions  of 
Banks'  force.  Shields  pursued  Jackson  to  New  Market, 
when  the  latter  turned  on  him,  and  the  battle  of  Winchester 
followed.  Williams's  division  had  started  for  Centreville, 
and  had  nearly  reached  Harpers  Ferry,  Banks  with  it,  when 
he  was  telegraphed  that  a  serious  battle  was  in  progress;  but 
before  either  Banks  or  reinforcements  could  reach  the  place, 
Jackson  was  badly  whipped.  However,  he  soon  made  up 
for  it. 

Retiring  a  little  south-east  of  Harrisonburg,  Jackson  watched 
from  his  pivotal  position,  Fremont  on  his  left,  Banks  in  front, 
and  McDowell  on  the  right.  These  forces  aggregated  about 
sixty  thousand  men.  Forty-one  thousand  of  them  would  have 
joined  McClellan  and  triumphantly  entered  Richmond,  had  they 
not  been  maneuvered  away  by  Jackson's  audacity.  Fremont 
and  Banks  were  telegraphed  to  efiect  a  junction,  and,  to  that  end, 
Fremont,  taking  with  him  E.  O.  Brown  and  J.  B.  Pierce,  opera- 
tors, proceeded  to  Franklin,  en  route  for  Harrisonburg.  General 
Milroy,  with  the  advance  of  Schenck's  division,  had  not  gone 
far  after  crossing  the  Shenandoah  mountains,  when  Jackson, 
who  had  been  advised  of  Fremont's  movement  and  knew  that  a 
junction  with  Banks  would  drive  him  out  of  the  valley  and  leave 
Staunton  and  Lynchburg  tempting  prizes  for  the  Federals,  now, 
being  re-inforced  by  Ewell  and  Edward  Johnson,  left  Ewell  to 
watch  Banks,  and,  falling  upon  Schenck's  troops,  especially  at 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  155 

McDowell,  May  8,  drove  them  back  to  Franklin,  the  terminus  of 
the  United  States  Military  Telegraph. 

Jackson  retraced  his  steps  and  joined  Ewell,  when,  with  a 
force  of  fully  twenty  thousand,  reported  at  Washington  to  ex- 
ceed forty  thousand,  he,  late  in  May,  began  his  famous  raid 
down  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  which  was  to  carry  and  did 
carry  dire  confusion  to  the  Federals  in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland 
and  the  District  of  Columbia. 

The  Confederate  cause  was  now  in  desperate  straits.  Federal 
victories  in  the  West,  of  which  hereafter,  and  McClellan's  slow, 
but  steady  approach  on  Richmond,  made  movements  the  result 
of  desperation  rather  than  of  desire. 

At  this  time,  McDowell  was  at  Fredericksburg,  about  forty- 
five  miles  from  McClellan's  right  wing,  and  expected  to  move 
with  forty-one  thousand  men.  May  25,  to  join  McClellan.  That 
accomplished,  and  Richmond  was  doomed ;  but  now  that  its 
speedy  capture  seemed  certain,  Washington  itself  was  menaced, 
and  Banks  was  retreating  rapidly  to  Winchester  before  over^ 
whelming  numbers,  under  Jackson.  If  Jackson  destroyed 
Banks'  army,  there  was  no  sufficient  force  between  him  and  the 
Federal  capital  to  protect  it.  McDowell's  main  force  was  seven- 
ty-five miles  south-west  of  Washington.  Let  us  turn  aside,  and 
see  how  he  came  to  be  there. 

The  telegraphic  correspondence  that  took  place  in  May,  June 
and  July,  between  McClellan  and  Stanton  and  Lincoln,  is  one  of 
the  prominent  features  of  the  campaign.  Several  divisions  were 
sent  McClellan  on  the  Peninsula.  Altogether  he  had,  during 
his  campaign,  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  efiective 
troops,  but  not  at  any  one  time.  June  28,  he  telegraphed  Stan- 
ton :  "If  I  save  this  army  now,  I  tell  you  plainly  that  I  owe  no 
thanks  to  you,  or  any  other  person  in  Washington.  You  have 
done  your  best  to  sacrifice  this  army. "  That  was  while  nine 
thousand  Federals  lay  dead  or  wounded  around  Gaines'  Mills. 
Those  feverish  words  may  expose  the  sender  to  criticism,  but 
they  do  not  militate  against  that  efficient  co-operation  which  Mc- 
Clellan vainly  counted  on  to  effect  the  capture  of  Richmond  and 
the  destruction  of  the  Confederate  army.  Our  "hind-sight"  is 
often  clearer  than  our  foresight.  Burnside  was  on  Roanoke 
Island  and  thereabouts,  with  nineteen  thousand  troops.    McDow- 


156  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

ell  had  forty-one  thousand  ;  Banks  and  Fremont  about  as  many 
as  Burnside.  There  was  force  enough,  but  it  was  not  well 
located.  Huger  brought  twelve  thousand  from  Norfolk,  and 
Branch  nine  thousand  from  Burnside's  front  at  Newburn,  to  aid 
in  defending  Richmond.  Nevertheless,  some  critics  say  Mc- 
Clellan  could  have  taken  Richmond,  .and,  in  the  light  of  facts 
now  well  known,  perhaps  the  historian  now  is  wiser  than  the 
General  then  was.  It  was  in  response  to  McClellan's  call  for 
help  that  McDowell,  eager  to  advance,  was  now  within  four  days 
of  McClellan,  with  a  powerful  army. 

When  McClellan  left  Washington,  he  intended  General 
Wadsworth's  forces  in  the  District,  numbering  nineteen  thous- 
and, but  understood  by  McClellan  to  exceed  that  number,  to  be 
left  for  the  protection  of  Washington  ;  but  the  President,  on 
Wadsworth's  representations,  retained  McDowell's  corps  also. 
And  collecting  forty-one  thousand  men  as  stated,  McDowell  was 
about  advancing  to  connect  with  McClellan's  right  wing,  which 
had  been  thrown  northwardly  to  meet  McDowell,  when  (May 
24)  he  received  the  following  telegraphic  order  from  the  Pres- 
dent : 

You  are  instructed,  laying  aside  for  the  present  the  movement 
on  Richmond,  to  put  twenty  thousand  men  in  motion  at  once  for 
the  Shenandoah,  moving  in  the  line,  or  in  advance  of  the  line,  of 
the  Manassas  Gap  Railroad.  Your  object  will  be  to  capture  the 
force  of  Jackson  and  Ewell,  either  in  co-operation  with  General 
Fremont,  or,  in  case  want  of  supplies  or  transportation  interfered 
with  his  movefnents,  it  is  believed  that  the  force  which  you  move 
will  be  sufficient  to  accomplish  the  object  alone.  Reports  received 
this  moment  are  that  Banks  is  fighting  Ewell,  eight  miles  from 
Harpers  Ferry. 

To  which  McDowell  replied:  ''The  President's  order  has 
been  received,  and  is  in  process  of  execution.  This  is  a  crush- 
ing blow  to  us."  The  President,  responding,  said:  ''I  am 
highly  gratified  by  your  alacrity  in  obeying  my  orders.  The 
change  was  as  painful  to  me  as  it  can  possibly  be  to  you.  Every 
thing  now  depends  upon  the  celerity  and  vigor  of  your  move- 
ments." General  McDowell  then  telegraphed  the  President  as 
follows  : 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  15T 

I  obeyed  your  order  immediately,  for  it  was  positive  and  urgent, 
and,  perhaps,  as  a  subordinate,  there  I  ought  to  stop.  But  I  trust 
I  may  be  allowed  to  say  something  in  relation  to  the  subject,  espe- 
cially in  view  of  your  remark  that  every  thing  depends  upon  the 
vigor  and  celerity  of  my  movements.  I  beg  to  say  that  co-opera- 
tion between  General  Fremont  and  myself,  to  cut  off  Jackson  and 
Ewell,  is  not  to  be  counted  upon,  even  if  it  is  not  a  practical  im- 
possibility ;  next,  that  I  am  entirely  beyond  helping  distance  of 
General  Banks,  and  no  celerity  or  vigor  will  be  availing  so  far  as 
he  is  concerned  ;  next,  that,  by  a  glance  at  the  map,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  line  of  retreat  of  the  enemy's  forces  up  the  valley  is  shorter 
than  mine  to  go  against  him.  It  will  take  a  week  or  ten  days  for 
the  force  to  get  to  the  valley  by  the  route  that  will  give  it  food  and 
forage,  and  by  that  time  the  enemy  will  have  retreated.  I  shall 
gain  nothing  for  you  there,  and  lose  much  for  you  here.  It  is, 
therefore,  not  only  on  personal  grounds  that  I  have  a  heavy  heart 
in  the  matter,  but  I  feel  that  it  throws  us  all  back  from  Richmond, 
north.  We  shall  have  a  large  mass  paralyzed,  and  shall  have  to 
repeat  what  we  have  just  accomplished. 

On  the  twenty-fifth,  the  President  telegraphed  McClellan  : 

If  McDowell's  force  were  now  beyond  our  reach,  we  should  be 
utterly  helpless.  Apprehensions  of  something  like  this,  and  no 
unwillingness  to  sustain  you,  has  always  been  my  reason  for  with- 
holding McDowell's  force  from  you.  Please  understand  this,  and 
do  the  best  you  can  with  the  forces  you  now  have. 

Fremont,  at  Franklin,  was  likewise  telegraphed  to  cross  the 
mountains  to  Harrisonburg,  to  intercept  Jackson's  retreat. 
Manassas  Junction  and  the  railroad  leading  therefrom  north- 
westerly to  Strasburg,  and  thence  up  the  valley  to  Woodstock, 
were  in  McDowell's  possession. 

Thomas  Q.  Waterhouse  and  Charles  W.  Moore  werfe  operat- 
ing at  the  Junction  about  this  time.  The  office  was  in  a  one- 
roomed  shanty,  where  the  operators  also  kept  bachelor's  hall. 
Their  furniture  was  not  artistic,  but  it  was  whole.  A  box,  on 
which  the  instrument  rested,  served  also  as  a  dining-table.  A 
single  nail-keg  answered  for  chairs.  Some  old  broken  pieces  of 
iron,  held  together  by  telegraph  wire,  was  called  the  cooking 
stove.     A   coffin,   stolen   somewhere,  constituted   the   chamber 


158  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

set.  The  only  objection  to  it,  was,  that  the  sleeper  had  to  get 
out  to  turn  over.  As  the  operators  worked  alternate  shifts,  one 
blanket  answered  for  both.  Of  course  these  appointments 
necessitated  a  servant.  A  young  gentleman  of  color,  named 
Delaware,  attended  to  the  cooking  and  dusted  the  furniture. 

When  Banks  began  falling  back,  Waterhouse  and  Richard 
Graham,  operators,  were  ordered  to  go  by  special  train  up  the 
road.  Graham  stopped  at  Thoroughfare  Gap,  and  Waterhouse 
went  on.  Frank  Lamb,  operating  at  Alexandria,  and  Moore 
took  the  same  train  for  the  pleasure  of  the  trip,  and  to  open 
new  offices.  William  Mcintosh,  who  had  just  completed  the 
line  over  this  route,  went  also.  Operator  F.  T.  Bickford  was 
well  out  on  the  line,  but  somehow  joined  the  party.  On  the  val- 
ley wire,  Henry  C.  Buell,  William  C.  Hall  and  C.  H.  Louns- 
berry  operated  at  Strasburg,  probably,  however,  one  of  the 
latter  two  had  been  relieved  by  the  other  at  this  particular  time. 
Frank  Drummond  and  Thomas  Armor  attended  the  Winchester 
office.  These  telegraphers  little  dreamed  of  the  active  realities 
in  store  for  them.  Jackson  was  hurrying  to  strike  Banks'  troops 
under  Colonel  Kenley  first,  at  Front  Royal,  and  then  wherever  he 
could  hit  hard.  The  special  train  ran  into  the  enemy's  advance, 
and  probably  was  cut  off.  Anyhow,  the  telegraph  party  began 
playing  hide  and  seek.  Waterhouse  sought  to  reach  Rectortown, 
where  Ed.  Conway  operated  for  General  Geary.  He  succeeded, 
and,  covered  with  mud,  was  sleeping  on  a  fine  bed  when  Conway 
roused  him,  as  Geary  was  retiring  to  White  Plains.  The  rest  ot 
the  party,  when  within  a  mile  of  Front  Royal  village,  heard  that 
Kenley's  nine  hundred  men  were  gallantly  resisting  Stonewall 
Jackson's  forces.  Kenley  was  no  match  for  his  antagonist,  and 
seven  hundred  Federals  were  captured.  The  telegraphers  were 
in  a  trap,  but  they  still  aimed  at  Manassas  Junction.  Bickford 
thought  his  chances  better  alone,  so  he  took  his  own  way.  Trav- 
eling near  a  mile  further,  the  rest  saw  Jackson's  men,  just  ahead 
of  them,  tearing  up  the  road  and  destroying  the  telegraph ;  so 
the  telegraphers  fell  back  toward  Strasburg  in  hot  haste,  only  to 
discover  another  force  of  cavalry  which  had  struck  the  road 
behind  them.  Winchester  was  now  their  dernier  ressort ;  so, 
striking  out  that  way,  they  had  pushed  on  some  five  or  six  miles 
and  began  to  feel  easier  and  wonder  if  Bickford,  who  had  betaken 


CIVIL   WAR   IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  159 

himself  to  the  fields,  did  not  wish  he  was  with  them,  when,  lo  ! 
Ashby  and  Flournoy's  cavalry  and  artillery  came  thundering 
down  the  road — the  Confederates  every  now  and  then  making 
the  woods  ring  Avith  their  fearful  yells.  Lamb,  Mcintosh  and 
Moore  had  just  time  to  jump,  unobserved,  a  stone  fence  along 
the  roadside,  where  they  lay  exceeding  close  as  the  cavalry  went 
tearing  by. 

Nothing  daunted,  the  boys  now  started  for  the  Shenandoah, 
wondering  if  Bickford  had  not,  after  all,  judged  wiser  than  they. 
Night  set  in,  and  with  it  darkness.  They  were  strangers  in  a 
strange,  inhospitable  land.  They  knew  not  which  way  to  turn, 
so  they  followed  their  noses.  A  man  who  takes  such  a  guide, 
travels  a  weary  way,  and  so  they  did,  except  when  crawling  on 
their  stomachs  most  stealthily,  to  evade  the  enemy's  pickets.  In 
this  they  were  aided  by  his  camp  fires.  By  and  by,  all  ''  weary 
and  worn,  tattered  and  torn,"  they  reached  some  unoccupied 
negro  quarters.  Fatigued  and  hungry,  they  overslept.  When 
they  awakened,  three  men  were  standing  near,  but  the  muzzles 
of  their  guns  were  in  bold  un-re\ief  before  the  luckless  trio. 
The  boys  awoke  to  a  serious  realization  of  misplaced  confidence. 
They  had  slept  on  Colonel  Dearmont's  plantation,  and  the  Colo- 
nel and  two  soldiers  were  behind  those  guns.  However,  the 
telegraphers  held  out  for  terms,  and  so  it  was  stipulated  that 
Dearmont  should  give  them  something  to  eat.  This  done,  they 
were  taken  to  Front  Koyal — to  the  Federals — but  the  Federals 
were  Kenley's  captured  men.  Next  day  they  were  marched  to 
Winchester. 

Bickford  had  done  better.  Being  but  one,  he  eluded  the 
enemy  and  reached  Winchester  in  safety.  When  he  realized  his 
escape,  he  was  being  congratulated  in  the  Harpers  Ferry  office 
by  operators  G.  T.  Lawrence  and  J.  D.  Tyler. 

Now  let  us  go  back  again. 

Henry  C.  Buell  was  operator  at  Strasburg.  Banks  was 
there  with  his  force,  having  retired  thereto  when  he  heard  Fre- 
mont's troops  were  retreating  before  the  Confederates.  Banks 
was  not  expecting  Jackson  till  he  heard  of  Kenley's  being  en- 
gaged, when  he  in  vain  strove  to  help  him.  He  had  re-inforced 
McDowell  with  Shields'  division — E.  R.  McCaine,  operator, 
accompanying  it.     The  Federal  force,  to  beat  oflf  Jackson,  was 


160  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

not  fully  seven  thousand.  Banks  resolved  to  retire,  and  sent 
back  his  trains.  The  cavalry  struck  them,  but  the  force  was 
small  and  the  Union  troops  drove  it  off.  The  enemy  increasing, 
the  rear  guard  was  cut  off ;  but  a  part  of  it  joined  Banks  by  an- 
other road,  at  Winchester,  and  the  rest  reached  the  Potomac. 
Buell,  the  operator,  had  been  cut  off  and  captured. 

This  was  becoming  a  field  day  for  telegraphers.  Jackson 
pushed  hard.  He  was  ambitious  to  destroy  Banks'  army. 
From  Winchester  to  Harpers  Ferry  the  line  was  intact.  Drum- 
mond  and  Armor  had  been  severely  tasked  for  several  days  and 
nights,  and  were  exhausted.  Messages  to  and  from  Banks  and 
others,  from  and  to  Washington  and  elsewhere,  were  pouring  in. 
It  was  no  time  for  rest.  On  the  twenty-fourth.  Banks  telegraphed 
to  Washington  the  condition  of  affairs.  It  was  his  messages 
that  raised  the  official  pulse  to  fever  heat.  Then  Stanton  tele- 
graphed to  the  Governors,  and  they  to  their  subordinates.  Lin- 
coln countermanded  McDowell's  orders,  and  directed  pursuit  of 
Jackson,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  proved  a  ''  crushing  blow"  to 
McDowell's  hopes.  The  tide  of  telegraphic  orders  ebbed  and 
flowed  throughout  the  Federal  States  To  illustrate  nautically, 
it  was  a  Nova  Scotian  tide.  Fremont,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
brought  up  from  the  moimtain  fastnesses. 

While  these  things  were  progressing,  Jackson  was  hurrying 
up  his  army.  Eight  hours  the  Nationals  remained  in  Winches- 
ter. Three  of  them  they  rested,  and  five  they  fought.  Further 
resistance  was  madness,  and  so  Banks  fell  back  again  ;  his  trains, 
having  kept  on,  were  nearly  safe.  Drummond,  all  this  time, 
was  in  his  office.  The  troops  fell  back  through  the  town, 
Armor  among  the  last,  but  making  good  time.  Pursuit  is 
almost  always  vigorous  at  first ;  so  it  was  here.  Firing  was 
now  heard  in  the  village  itself  Near  an  hour  after  the  retreat 
had  begun,  Drummond  sent  an  orderly  to  see  if  his  horse  was 
ready  to  mount.  It  was.  He  then  sent  all  his  orderlies  to  join 
their  regiment.  The  rebel  yell  was  coming  in  at  the  window. 
It  was  more  ominous  than  the  musketry  that  was  cracking, 
nearer  and  nearer.  Drummond  was  going.  His  hand  was  on 
his  instrument ;  his  dispatches  were  on  his  person.  A  moment 
more,  and  he  would  be  off.  That  instant  an  orderly  rushed  in, 
out  of  breath,  and  handed  him  a  telegram  for  Harpers  Ferry, 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  161 

about  reinforcements.     With  one  hand  Drummond  called  Har- 
pers Ferry  office,  and  with  the  other  burned  his  dispatches. 

It  so  happened  that  at  that  particular  moment  Harpers  Ferry 
operator  was  busy  on  the  Washington  line,  and  did  not  hear,  or 
hearing,  did  not  suspect  the  consequences  of  a  few  seconds' 
delay,  and  no  response  came — nothing  but  that  portentous  yell. 
Drummond  now  started  to  tie  his  horse  at  the  door,  when  he 
would  return  and  send  the  message.  Some  frightened  soldier 
had  mounted  the  horse  and  disappeared ;  the  Confederates 
were  within  a  few  hundred  yards.  Rushing  back,  he  called 
'^H.  F."  a  few  times,  and  seizing  his  insti-ument,  he  hurried  to 
the  street.  The  nearest  Union  soldier  was  fifty  yards  in  advance, 
on  a  double  quick,  dropping  impedimenta^  and  the  Confederates 
very  close  and  firing  down  the  street.  Drummond  thought  if 
he  could  cross  the  street  and  take  one  at  right  angles,  he  could 
escape;  and  running  across  their  fire,  he  reached  the  street 
safely,  but  was  in  the  very  jaws  of  the  Confederate  cavalry, 
having  only  time  to  destroy  his  instrument  on  the  stone  pave- 
ment. Bickford  had  reported  and  volunteered  to  help,  but 
Drummond,  knowing  his  time  was  short,  persuaded  Bickford  to 
leave.  Drummond  was  reported  by  the  press  as  killed,  a  soldier 
having  stated  that  he  saw  him  fall. 

Banks'  army  and  train  safely  reached  Harpers  Ferry. 

Fremont  took  a  route  leading  him  into  Strasburg  from  the 
northerly  side,  instead  of  taking  the  direction  ordered  and 
coming  up  from  Harrisonburg.  Shields'  division,  the  advance  ot 
McDowell's  forces,  entered  Front  Royal,  ten  miles  east,  when 
Fremont  struck  Strasburg.  When  Fremont's  advance  went  into 
Strasburg,  Jackson's  rear  guard  went  out.  Then  came  the 
battles  of  Woodstock,  Cross  Keys,  Port  Republic,  and  the  escape 
over,  and  burning  of  the  bridge  spanning  the  Shenandoah. 
Pursuit  ceased,  and  next  we  hear  Jackson  and  Ewell  and  John- 
son aiding  the  Hills  and  Johnston,  at  Mechanicsville  and  Gaines' 
Mills. 

Experience  of  Captured  Operators. 
Drummond's  experiences  in  a  new  field  are  told  as  follows: 

On  the  31st  of  May,  we  were  ordered  to  report  at  provost  mar- 
shal's at  10:30  a.m.     Started  on  march  at  12:30.     Marched  fifteen 
11 


162  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

miles,  and  halted  for  the  night  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  Sentinels 
would  not  allow  us  into  a  field  close  by;  we  were,  consequently, 
compelled  to  lie  down  in  the  mud,  so  deep  that  Lieutenant  Rice, 
of  the  Fifth  Connecticut,  with  whom  I  slept,  could  not  see  a  par- 
ticle of  his  blanket  when  we  got  up,  and  so  left  it  there;  and  1  can 
safely  say  he  regretted  leaving  it  for  months  after.  It  rained  very 
heavily  all  night,  and  as  we  had  no  rations  all  day  and  night,  we 
arose  from  our  soft  bed  soaking  wet,  cold,  hungry  and  very  miser- 
able generally.  The  next  day,  Sunday,  we  marched,  at  five  a.m., 
for  Strasburg.  Here  the  officers  got  breakfast  at  hotels,  for  which 
they  paid.  Halted  at  four  p.m.,  eleven  miles  from  Strasburg,  and 
prospects  were  held  out  that  we  would  get  half  rations,  uncooked; 
which  eventually  proved  true,  as  we  were  the  recipients  of  four 
crackers  (hard-tack)  each.  Monday^  June  2,  marched  fifteen  miles, 
camped  at  Mount  Jackson,  in  hospital;  nothing  to  eat  all  day. 

June  3. — Marched  sixteen  miles.  Officers  camped  in  a  dirty 
barn.  No  rations;  oppressively  warm.  After  we  were  all  lying 
down,  terribly  tired  and  hungry,  not  a  sound  to  be  heard,  I  sang  as 
loudly  as  I  could  the  song,  "  Bacon  and  Greens,"  which  praises 
these  articles  of  food  in  a  very  tempting  manner.     One  verse  goes: 

Oh !  there's  charm  in  this  dish,  rightly  taken, 

That  from  custards  and  jellies  an  epicure  weans. 

Stick  your  fork  in  the  fat,  wrap  your  greens  round  the  bacon, 
And  you'll  vow  there's  no  dish  like  good  bacon  and  greens. 

They  let  me  finish,  but  immediately  after  cried,  "Put  him  out!" 
"Gag  him!"  etc.  We  were  a  hungry  lot.  I'll  never  forget  that 
night.  June  4. — Marched  seventeen  miles  to  Harrisburg.  No 
rations  until  night;  first  regular  rations  we  have  had.  All  com- 
missioned officers  paroled  to  report  at  Staunton.  Telegraphers 
refused,  becaused  not  commissioned.  Fifth. — Marched  twenty- one 
miles,  over  horribly  muddy  roads,  last  ten  miles  without  any  halt  lo 
rest.  Feet  very  badly  blistered.  No  rations.  Sixth. — Marched 
twelve  miles;  arrived  at  Waynesborough  12:30,  noon.  No  rations; 
feet  very  sore.  Camped  in  a  field  near  depot.  Rained  some 
during  night.  Bought  provisions;  no  rations.  Seventh. — Rained 
very  fast  all  morning.  Drenched  and  miserable.  Sun  came  out 
after  noon.  Went  to  town  with  guard;  bought  shoes,  towels  and 
soap.  Washed  in  river,  put  up  tent,  received  rations  and  slept 
well.  Eighth. — Beautiful  day.  No  rations.  Wagons  packing, 
and  appearance  of  moving.     Charley  Moore  very  ill.     Marched  at 


I 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  163 

four  P.M.  Camped  six  miles  from  Waynesborough.  Slept  in 
clover  field.  No  rations.  Ninth, — Marched  at  ten.  Rations  of 
fat  pork;  no  bread.  Halted  at  North  Garden  Station,  after  marcli- 
ing  sixteen  miles.  Camped  in  field.  Baked  some  bread  (flour  and 
water).  Tenth. — Got  up  at  four.  Raining  heavily  all  day.  Field 
very  muddy.  Changed  our  quarters,  in  midst  of  heavy  rain,  to  a 
worse  place.     Passed  a  miserable  night. 

June  11. — Left  in  box  cars  this  morning.  Hustled  into  a  box 
with  about  sixty  others,  like  cattle.  Very  close  and  warm.  Ar- 
rived at  Lynchburg  five  P.  m.  Marched  to  fair  grounds,  where 
rations  were  served  out.  Sixteenth. — Buell  very  sick;  not  extra 
well  myself.  Seventeenth. — Very  bad  with  diarrhoea.  Only  al- 
lowed half  rations  of  water;  something  wrong  with  well.  No 
rations  of  food.  Nineteenth. — Two  prisoners  died  last  night;  great 
many  sick.  No  better  myself;  slept  badly.  Raining.  Twentieth. — 
Very  ill.  All  prisoners  called  out  to  be  counted.  Twenty-first. — 
Colonel  Gibbs  gave  us  parole  of  the  grounds.  Much  better  quar- 
ters, and  separated  from  soldiers.  Rigged  up  a  sleeping  place  with 
boards,  in  cattle  sheds.  Bought  seventeen  dollars  worth  of  some- 
thing to  eat.  Twenty -second. — Much  better  in  health  this  morning. 
Think  we  will  all  get  well  again.  Best  sleep  of  any  night  since 
left  Winchester.  Twenty-seventh. — Buell  still  sick.  Twenty. eighth. 
— Rained  very  heavily.  Our  shanty  keeps  tolerably  dry;  quite  an 
improvement  on  the  field.  Thirtieth. — Reported  General  Winder 
will  be  here  to-morrow  to  parole  us.  July  1. —  No  General 
Winder.  Fourth. — Had  good  dance  to-night;  flute  music.  Slept 
finely  after  tl;e  unusual  exercise.  Fifth. — Changed  ten  dollars, 
gold,  for  one-third  Confederate,  two-thirds  Federal  paper,  fifteen 
dollars.  Seventh. — Our  mess  all  cut  each  other's  hair,  close  to  the 
scalp.  Very  warm.  Fourteenth. — Moore,  Lamb,  Clark,  Burr  and 
I  dug  for  two  hours,  this  p.m.,  at  a  trench.  After  which,  officers  of 
guard  sent  escort  with  us  to  streani,  where  we  had  a  splendid  wash, 
which  we  enjoyed  immensely,  and  feel  much  better.  Eighteenth. — 
Jumping  match  this  morning.  Charley  Moore  beat  us  all.  Nine- 
teenth.— Exercised  a  little  on  horizontal  bar.  All  in  excellent 
health. 

July  22cl. —  Prisoner  shot  before  daylight  this  morning,  for 
walking  past  sentry.  Supposed  by  his  comrades  to  have  been 
walking  in  his  sleep.  Twenty-ninth. — Five  men  escaped  last  night. 
Thirtieth. — Colonel  threatens  to  send  us  back  with  soldiers  if  we 


164  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

aid  them  to  escape.  August  1. — Another  telegraph  prisoner  ar- 
rived to-day — M.  H.  Kerner.  Fourth. — Burr  very  sick;  fever  and 
chills,  particularly  chills.  Sixth. — Joyful  news  in  camp  to-day. 
The  Colonel  has  announced  that  orders  have  come  for  our  exchange. 
Charley  Moore  fainted  twice  to-day.  Seventh. — Confederate  officers 
tell  us  that  we  will  be  on  our  way  home  to-morrow  or  next  day. 
More  dancing.  Eighth. — About  two  thousand  prisoners  left  for 
home  to-day.  We  expect  to  leave  to-morrow.  Ninth. — Got  orders 
to-night  to  cook  rations  and  prepare  to  march  at  six  a.m.,  to-mor- 
row. Tenth. — Marched  for  cars  at  seven.  Left  at  10:30.  Sun 
was  so  intensely  hot,  could  not  possibly  have  walked  one  hundred 
yards  farther  than  depot.  Eleventh. — Arri  ved  at  Belle  Island  this  a.m., 
at  six.  On  the  road,  six  of  us  crawled  through  the  windows  of  the 
car  to  the  roof,  and  there  slept.  It  was  wonderful  we  did  not  roll 
off,  but  we  could  not  endure  the  heat  and  bad  odor  inside.  Left 
for  Richmond  at  one  p.m.  Reached  Libby  Prison  about  three; 
where  we  were  informed  we  could  not  be  released  until  we  could 
procure  an  exchange  for  ourselves.  Imagine  our  feelings!  Twelfth. 
— Officers  in  next  room  all  leaving  for  home  to-day.  Spoke  to 
Lieutenant  Selfridge  through  hole  in  floor.  Thirteenth. — Saw  all 
officers  from  Salisbury  through  hole  in  door.  Spoke  to  Captain 
Betts,  Lieutenant  Rice  and  several  others.  Fourteenth  — Spoke  to 
John  C.  Gregg  (M.  T.  corps,  who  was  taken  at  Acquia  Creek,  about 
six  months  ago)  through  hole  in  door.  Seventeenth. — Gregg  left 
for  home  this  morning  with  officers.  No  sign  of  our  going  yet. 
Eighteenth. — There  are  now  one  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners  in  this 
room.  Nineteenth. — Charley  Moore  and  I  made  the  raise  of  a 
sleeping  cot.  Twenty -third. — Hard  bread  to-night,  in  consequence 
of  more  prisoners  arriving  this  p.m. 

August  31. — Rations  are  always  soup  (very  watery),  boiled  beef 
and  bread;  never  change.  September  5. — Man  shot  up  stairs.  The 
guard  on  the  street  are  in  the  habit  of  amusing  themselves  by 
shooting  at  any  prisoner  who  shows  himself  at  the  windows.  A 
man  in  our  room  forgot  himself,  and  was  quietly  looking  over  the 
James  River.  He  approached  too  close  to  the  window,  and  we 
heard  a  shot,  and  immediately  after  a  fall  up  stairs.  The  ball  had 
gone  close  to  the  man's  head,  through  the  wooden  floor  above,  and 
killed  a  sergeant,  who  was  four  or  five  feet  from  the  window.  He 
was  sitting  on  a  table,  leaning  forward,  and  was  struck  through  the 
heart;  death  was  instantaneous.     The  man  who  did  the  shooting 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  165 

was  arrested,  as  a  matter  of  form,  but  was  looking  out  for  a  fresh 
shot  next  day,  and  the  Richmond  papers  agreed  that  he  had  done 
his  duty,  and  gave  him  credit  for  it.  Twelfth. — About  forty  of  us 
volunteered  to  go  to  Belle  Island  and  make  descriptive  lists  of 
about  six  thousand  prisoners.  We  got  at  work  about  three  p.m., 
finished  about  eight  a.  m.,  thirteenth,  having  worked  all  night. 
Five  thousand  soldiers  left  to-day.  Rumored  we  are  going  home 
in  a  day  or  two.  Fourteenth. — About  ten  of  us  were  called  out 
this  morning,  quite  unexpectedly;  no  time  except  to  grab  whatever 
was  handy.  Through  a  clerical  error,  Charley  Moore's  name  was 
omitted  on  the  list;  but  we  did  not  forget  him.  I  went  to  the  Cap- 
tain, and  told  him  it  must  be  an  omission,  and,  fortunately,  he  was 
generous  enough  to  look  into  it,  and  found  the  clerk  had  left  off 
Charley's  name.  In  the  meantime,  poor  Charley  thought  he  was 
deserted.  Left  Varina  at  4:  30  p.m.;  anchored  at  dark.  Fifteenth. — 
Steamed  off  at  daylight;  beautiful  weather.  Arrived  at  Fortress 
Monroe  about  twelve  m.,  and  anchored  in  stream.  Weighed  anchor 
six  P.M.  When  we  arrived  at  Annapolis  and  were  turned  loose^ 
without  guards,  we  hardly  knew  how  to  keep  together. 

On  arriving  at  War  Department,  Washington,  we  were  very 
heartily  welcomed,  although  we  were  a  hard-looking  lot,  and  it  was 
altogether  unsafe  to  come  too  near  us.  We  got  some  money,  and 
I  got  permission  for  Tommy  Armor  to  accompany  me  to  procure 
an  entire  change  of  wardrobe.  I  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  floor 
and  directed  the  purchase  from  a  safe  distance;  then  made  for  the 
nearest  bath  house,  rolled  all  my  clothes  in  a  bundle,  and  threw  thejn 
out  of  the  back  window,  for  obvious  reasons,  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. Before  leaving  Richmond,  we  were  paroled  for  exchange. 
I  managed  to  take  a  copy  of  the  parole,  which  was  as  follows: 
*'  We,  the  undersigned,  do  solemnly  swear  and  pledge  our  sacred 
word  of  honor,  that  we  will  not,  during  the  existing  war  between 
the  United  States  and  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  bear  arms 
or  aid  and  abet  the  enemies  of  said  Confederates  States,  by  infor- 
mation or  otherwise,  unless  regularly  exchanged  or  released. — 
Richmond,  September  14,  1862." 

West  Virginia  More  Particularly. 

The  month  of  May  (1862)  brought  misfortunes,  and  troubles 
also,  to  the  telegraphers  in  West  Virginia,  where  Fremont  relieved 
Rosecrans  of  command,  April  6,  1862,  and  planned  two  general 
movements,  one  of  which  has  been  merely  mentioned. 


166  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Fremont  directed  General  Cox  to  advance  from  Gauley 
Bridge,  via  Raleigh  and  Princeton,  with  one  column,  himself 
taking  another  up  the  New  Creek  Valley,  intent  on  striking  the 
Virginia  &  Tennessee  Railroad  at  Salem,  whither  he  was  going 
via  Monterey  and  Warm  Springs.  Captain  David  was  ordered 
to  extend  the  telegraph  by  each  route,  as  the  two  columns 
advanced.  Indeed,  it  was  expected  to  build  three  hundred  miles 
of  telegi-aphs,  which  would  make  the  great  total  of  seven  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one  miles  in  Fremont's  department  alone. 
Unless  one  has  traveled  in  West  Virginia,  he  can  form  no  ade- 
quate idea  of  the  natural  difficulties  the  Telegraph  Corps  encoun- 
tered in  their  building  operations  there.  Add  to  the  sinuous 
mountain  roads,  the  falling  trees,  the  rock -bottomed  ways, 
making  blasting  sometimes  necessary  to  effect  holes  for  the 
setting  of  poles,  and  the  numerous  new  obstacles  constantly 
met — a  continual  menace  from  the  guerrillas,  who  infested  that 
entire  region  lying  within  the  Union  lines  south  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  road,  and  the  sum  total  of  discouragements  becomes 
great  indeed.  No  country  ever  afforded  better  facilities  for 
marauding  bands.  It  was  sparsely  peopled;  there  were  no  rail- 
roads for  counter  movements;  the  telegraph  was  the  only  dreaded 
intelligencer,  and  hence  it  was,  that  every  time  a  movement 
was  contemplated  by  guerrillas,  a  forerunner  cut  the  line,  and 
when  the  band  itself  struck  a  telegraph,  it  was  badly  destroyed. 
Many  of  the  citizens  conspired  to  effect  the  same  object  by 
night,  and  their  hiding  places  were  innumerable. 

Notwithstanding  these  things,  David  reported.  May  21,  that 
he  had  been  successful  in  keeping  Fremont's  and  Cox's  columns 
in  telegraphic  communication,  and  that  the  telegraph  had  proved 
equal  to  all  emergencies.  This  success  was  the  result  of  much 
risk.  The  men  who  built  the  lines  were  civilians,  armed,  if 
armed  at  all,  with  their  own  revolvers.  Down  on  the  Gauley, 
they  barely  escaped  with  their  lives.  The  very  means  taken  to 
prevent  interference  with  the  telegraph,  while  it  was  the  best, 
only  intensified  the  feeling  of  bitterness  against  those  in  charge. 
Says  David  in  his  May  report:  "  I  have  suffered  no  little  trouble 
and  anxiety  of  mind  over  the  operations  of  the  infernal  guer- 
rillas. They  cut  our  wires  every  night,  so  that  it  requires  a 
continued  effort  to  keep  the  connection  clear.     It  is,  however, 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  167 

now  nearly  at  an  end.  General  Fremont  seizes  and  holds  two 
or  three  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  in  the  vicinity  where  the 
line  is  cut,  as  hostages  for  every  inroad." 

But  there  were  other  troubles.  General  Milroy,  who  suc- 
ceeded General  Reynolds  in  command  at  Cheat  Mountain,  held 
the  gaps  in  that  neighborhood,  just  as  Kelley  and  Lander  had 
along  the  AUeghanies  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  railroad,  only 
Milroy  did  not  loosen  his  hold  until  after  the  battle  of  McDow- 
ell, thirty-six  miles  west  of  Staunton,  when  he  and  Schenck,  who 
had  hurried  to  his  aid,  discovered  that  they  could  not  decamp 
too  quick.  That  was  May  8,  and  this  is  the  story  of  the  addi- 
tional troubles  consequent  upon  Jackson's  dash  at  Fremont's  ad- 
vance into  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  where  Fremont,  as  we  have 
seen,  was  to  join  Banks  and  sweep  that  whole  region  of  the  en- 
emy. Former  lines  had  been  built  by  dropping  material  along 
the  route,  but  it  proved  unsatisfactory.  Transportation  was  for- 
warded to  Green  Spring  Run,  to  carry  all  the  material  required, 
as  the  line  progressed  south.  The  line  from  Green  Spring  Run 
was  thus  advanced  rapidly.  But  when  Milroy  sent  back  for 
help,  Schenck  dumped  the  telegraph  material  on  the  roadside, 
and  seizing  the  wagons,  pushed  on.  By-and-by  he  came  back; 
Milroy  came  too.  It  was  a  long,  tortuous  and  precipitous  road, 
but  there  was  an  emergency.  East  of  the  Shenandoah  Moun- 
tains, Milroy's  advance  was  checked  and  put  to  flight  as  far  as 
McDowell,  where  Schenck  and  Milroy  in  vain  attempted  to  stay 
the  progress  of  Jackson,  after  which  they  could  not  give  him  the 
right  of  way  too  quickly,  and  agreed  that  if  he  wanted  those 
barren  mountains  they  would  confess  ejectment  and  sufler  dis- 
seizin. ''Haste, makes  waste."  Jackson  was  enabled  to  convert 
to  his  own  use  David's  building  material,  lying  by  the  roadside, 
consisting  of  eight  tons  of  telegraph  wire  and  three  hundred  in- 
sulators ;  also  to  destroy  three  miles  of  line,  leading  south  from 
Franklin.  But  Jackson  himself  soon  got  in  a  hurry  in  the 
great  valley,  as  we  have  explained,  when  he  dropped  this  mate- 
rial, to  the  great  joy  of  David,  who  repossessed  it.  George  K. 
Smith,  operating  at  Moorefield,  was  captured  by  Colonel  Har- 
ness, but  owing  to  the  proximity  of  Union  re-inforcements,  he  was 
paroled  after  starting  for  Richmond. 

We  left  Fuller  assistant  manager  with  General  Rosecrans  at 


168  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

Camp  Tompkins,  near  Gauley  Bridge,  and  have  noticed  his  prin- 
cipal operations.  In  December,  1861,  Mr.  Fuller  was  sent  to 
Kentucky,  where,  as  we  shall  see,  he  performed  good  service. 
On  Fuller's  leaving,  David  took  entire  charge  of  the  telegraphs 
in  West  Virginia.  W.  H.  Nash  was  his  chief  assistant  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Gauley,  and  C.  H.  Johns  was  operator  at 
General  Cox's  head-quarters.  Cox  became  so  attached  to  Johns 
that  when  the  general  went  into  winter  quarters  at  Marietta, 
Ohio,  in  December,  1862,  he  insisted  on  Johns  accompanying 
him  for  cipher  duty  only,  but  the  necessities  of  the  service  pre- 
vented it. 

When  Fremont  came,  Kosecraris'  head-quarters  were  at 
Wheeling.  Military  operations  on  the  Gauley  were  quiet  until 
the  spring  of  1862,  but  all  the  lines  erected  were  maintained  and 
operated.  When,  under  orders  from  Fremont,  Cox  advanced  to 
the  Big  Sewell,  the  telegraph  followed  him.  But  one  fight  of 
consequence  occurred,  and  that  was  at  Lewisburg,  when  Gene- 
ral Heth  attacked  Federal  General  Crook,  of  Cox's  command. 
Heth  ran  off  before  Crook  had  fairly  begun  to  fight.  This  oc- 
curred the  same  day  that  Jackson's  forces  captured  Colonel 
Kenley  at  Front  Eoyal. 

The  authorities  ordered  Cox's  troops  east,  which  necessitated 
his  falling  back,  although  the  telegraph  was  constructed  to 
Princeton  via  Fayette  and  Raleigh.  Milroy  was  also  ordered  to 
join  the  army  in  front  of  Washington,  and  Fremont's  extensive 
plans  of  operations  against  the  Confederates  entirely  failed. 
The  misfortunes  on  the  Peninsula  were  felt  every  where,  and 
one  of  the  consequences  thereof  was  the  abandonment  of  much 
of  the  country  and  telegraph  south  of  the  Baltimore  &>  Ohio 
Railroad.  Thus  the  line  from  Green  Spring  Run  to  Franklin, 
eighty-seven  miles,  Grafton  to  Phillippi,  fifteen  miles,  Point 
Pleasant  to  Raleigh,  two  hundred  miles.  Piedmont  to  Lona  Con- 
ing, seven  miles,  and  Rowelsburg  to  Cheat  Mountain,  aggregat- 
ing three  hundred  and  seventeen  miles,  were  reported  in  October 
(1862)  semi-annual  report  as  abandoned.  When  David  was  com- 
missioned captain  and  assistant  quarter-master  (in  July),  he  was 
ordered  to  St.  Louis  to  examine  and  report  on  telegraphic  opera- 
tions in  Missouri,  whither  he  went,  leaving  Charles  O.  Rowe  in 
temporary  charge  of  the  department. 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  169 

The  following  named  operators  served  in  West  Virginia  a 
part  or  all  of  the  first  six  months  of  1862  :  R.  M.  Shurr,  W.  F. 
Allen,  J.  B.  Pierce,  Charles  O.  Rowe,  C.  C.  Starling,  G.  Town- 
send,  Alf.  Winder,  F.  N.  Benson,  G.  H.  Curtiss,  M.  H.  Kerner, 
J.  S.  Keith,  Isaiah  D.  Maize,  W.  H.  Nash,  C.  Wolf,  P.  A.  Stid- 
ham,  Charles  J.  Thomas,  R.  A.  Furr,  M.  Gordon,  E.  Rosewater, 
George  D.  Sheldon,  L.  B.  Dennis,  W.  T.  Lindley,  Thomas  M. 
Sampson,  James  W.  Vermillion,  W.  H.  H.  Lancaster,  C.  D. 
TuU,  G.  K.  Smith,  N.  De  Bree  and  F.  M.  Ingram. 


170  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   TELEGRAPH  IN  THE    SOyTH-WEST.— FORT  DONELSON.— 
PEA  RIDGE.— ISLAND  NO.   10.— MEMPHIS. 

The  great  Middle  and  Western  States,  while  responding  gen- 
erously to  calls  for  troops  for  Virginia,  patriotically  fitted  out 
great  armies  to  beat  back  the  Confederate  hosts,  long  gathering 
in  the  South-west  and  border  slave  States.  The  South  was  bent 
on  compelling  Missouri  and  Kentucky  to  enter  the  Confederacy, 
and  if  unable  to  carry  the  war  into  the  bordc^r  free  States,  aimed 
at  least  to  force  it  upon  the  territory  of  the  lukewarm  slave 
ones.  Zollicoffer's  army,  near  Barboursville,  in  South-west 
Kentucky,  Buckner's,  on  the  line  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
Railroad,  near  Bowling  Green,  and  General  Polk's  at  Columbus, 
Kentucky,  on  the  Mississippi,  constituted  the  principal  rallying 
forces  of  the  Confederates  in  Kentucky,  when  we  last  noticed 
them.  Confronting  these  were,  as  we  have  seen,  Buell's  forces, 
under  Thomas  at  Camp  Dick  Robinson,  and  under  Mitchell  at 
Muldraugh's  Hill,  besides  Grant's  troops  at  Paducah  and  Cairo. 
The  Cumberland  was  sealed  against  the  Union  by  the  batteries 
and  works  at  Dover,  called  Fort  l)onelson,  just  over  the  Ken- 
tucky line,  in  Tennessee,  and  the  Tennessee  by  Fort  Henry,  just 
across  the  peninsula  from  Fort  Donelson.  Thus,  were  the  great 
artificial  and  natural  highways  leading  south,  entirely  blockaded, 
and  the  problem  was  first,  where,  and  second,  how,  to  attack  and 
clear  away  those  obstructions. 

In  Missouri,  we  last  saw  the  main  Union  army,  under  Hun- 
ter, making  an  ignominious  retrograde  movement  from  Spring- 
field. His  appointment  was  probably  a  temporary  one,  as  he 
was  relieved  a  few  days  thereafter  (Nov.  18,  1861),  by  General 
H.  W.  Halleck,  and  given  a  department  further  west,  which 
included  Kansas. 

Leaving  operations  under  Buell  for  the  succeeding  chapter, 
we  will  now  examine  those  in  Halleck's  department.    The  enemy, 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE  UNITED   STATES.  171 

under  General  Price,  possessing  the  territory  abandoned  by  Hun- 
ter, west  of  Rolla  and  as  far  north  as  the  Osage  River,  gave  Hunter's 
movement  every  outward  appearance  of  a  retreat.  Recruiting  for 
the  rebel  army  was  active  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  State,  but 
carried  on  stealthily  east  of  Rolla,  in  the  south-west,  where  Sigel 
was  in  command  ;  of  Sedalia,  in  the  center,  where  Pope  was 
sent  by  Halleck,  and  in  Prentiss'  district,  late  Pope's,  i.  ^.,  North 
Missouri.  This  resulted  in  numerous  semi  -  organized  bands, 
some  of  which  joined  Price,  while  others  continued  in  their 
maraudings  until  destroyed  or  dispersed  by  the  Federals.  The 
affairs  at  Millford,  December  18,  1861,  where  Pope  captured  over 
thirteen  hundred  prisoners ;  Mount  Zion,  in  Prentiss'  di^^trict, 
December  28,  where  five  or  six  hundred  Confederates  were  dis- 
persed, and  Silver  Creek,  January  8,  where  Major  Torrence 
badly  punished  and  dissipated  another  rebel  force,  were  some 
of  the  fruits  of  Halleck's  administration.  But  such  operations, 
while  they  necessarily  occur  in  all  great  wars,  exert  but  little 
influence  on  the  final  result. 

It  will,  however,  from  this  statement,  be  readily  understood 
that  the  telegraph  lines  to  Sedalia,  Rolla,  Ironton,  the  newly 
constructed  line  from  Cape  Girardeau  to  New  Madrid,  and  those 
in  North  Missouri,  were  special  objects  for  destruction,  and  con- 
sequently were  cut  repeatedly.  The  system  adopted  by  George 
H.  Smith,  of  having  mounted  repairers  at  offices,  and  at  near 
intervals,  with  directions  to  ride  their  circuits  daily,  resulted 
generally  in  the  re-establishment  of  communication  in  a  few 
hours  at  most,  after  the  wires  were  severed.  This  kind  of 
''riding  the  circuit"  was  very  hazardous,  and  some  of  the 
repairers  lost  their  lives — being  shot  by  concealed  bushwhackers. 
We  will,  at  the  proper  time,  mention  instances  where  it  occurred. 
Suffice  it  now  to  state  a  well-founded  belief,  grounded  upon 
experience  and  observation,  that  the  man  who  always  responds 
promptly  to  a  call  to  repair  a  broken  line  in  a  guerrilla-infested 
region,  without  escort,  evinces  a  degree  of  courage  rarely 
required  in  actual  battle.  There  were  many  such  men  engaged 
in  the  repair  service  of  the  U.  S.  Military  Telegraph  Corps. 
They  were  found  in  every  department.  Usually  illiterate,  they 
were  none  the  less  sensible  of  their  dangers  ;  nor  were  they  tardy 
about  taking  their  desperate  chances.    If  one  was  killed,  another 


172  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

took  his  place,  and,  being  a  mere  civilian,  no  notice  was  taken  of 
his  fate  by  the  Government,  in  whose  service  he  died.  No 
provision  was  ever  made  for  his  wife  and  little  ones  ;  no  slab 
ever  erected  at  Government  expense  ;  no  military  salute  was 
fired  over  his  grave.  If  the  corps  in  his  district,  from  motives 
of  sympathy,  made  up  a  purse  out  of  their  hard  earnings,  and 
mention  of  the  fate  was  made  by  the  officers  in  their  annual 
reports,  that  was  the  most  that  could  be  expected.  But  what 
became  of  those  reports?  Those  for  1864  and  1865  were  printed 
along  with  the  Quarter-master  General's ;  but  none  other  ever 
saw  the  light  of  day,  and  astute  historians  have  even  overlooked 
those  that  were  printed.  Indeed,  some  who  pretended  to  write 
up  the  history  of  the  civil  war,  seem  to  have  been  strangely 
ignorant  of  the  fact  that  there  ever  was  a  Military  Telegraph 
Corps  ;  much  less  did  they  ever  hear  of  the  repairer  who  dared 
and  died  for  his  country. 

On  the  North  Missouri  Eailroad,  the  line  had  been  completed 
by  Smith's  party  to  Hudson,  where  it  tapped  the  Hannibal  & 
St.  Joseph,  when  General  Hurlbut  raided  from  Macon  through 
the  north  part  of  the  State,  and,  returning,  struck  the  Hannibal 
&  St.  Joseph  at  Shelbina,  where  J.  B.  Clarke  was  operating,  and 
where  trains  were  to  meet  the  General,  and  convey  his  force  to 
Macon.  The  telegraph  being  down,  Clarke  proposed  to  take  an 
engine  to  Honeywell,  while  the  troops  were  loading,  to  see  where 
the  line  was  broken,  and  if  Salt  Kiver  bridge  was  intact.  After 
crossing  the  bridge,  he  saw  a  few  horsemen  near  it ;  but  at  Hon- 
eywell, he  found  the  road  destroyed,  and  about  two  hundred 
rebel  cavalry  about  a  mile  off,  coming  up  at  a  gallop.  Rush- 
ing into  the  telegraph  office,  Clarke  snatched  the  instruments 
from  the  wires,  and  made  good  his  escape  on  the  engine.  But 
the  cavalry  overhauled  Mr.  Dunning,  the  operator  there,  and 
made  him  hold  the  commander's  horse,  while  the  office  was 
searched  for  the  instruments.  Great  was  the  officer's  chagrin 
when  Dunning  convinced  him  that  Clarke  had  saved  them. 

Halleck's  department,  we  have  seen,  did  not  at  this  time 
include  Buell's  army.  There  were  two  great  ends  in  view — the 
capture  of  Nashville,  and  the  opening  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
Admiral  Farragut  had  captured  New  Orleans  (April  25,  1862), 
and  General  Butler  garrisoned  it.     Halleck's  great  aim  was  to 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  173 

sever  the  Confederacy,  and  co-operate  with  the  fleet  and  army, 
then  about  New  Orleans.  A  direct  attack,  though  never  aban- 
doned, was  not  prosecuted  with  the  vigor  of  the  main  operation. 
The  Cumberland  and  Tennessee  Rivers  were  not  so  stoutly  held 
as  the  Mississippi,  and  it  was  up  these  that  General  Halleck,  and 
Commodore  A.  H.  Foote  in  command  of  the  river  gun-boats, 
built  under  his  direction  about  Cairo,  agreed  first  to  operate. 
The  fleet  of  gun-boats  and  transports  ascended  the  Tennessee 
River,  February  4, 1862,  and  landed  the  troops  within  four  miles 
of  Fort  Henry  ;  but  it  was  not  deemed  practicable  to  build  the 
telegraph  beyond  Smithland,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cumberland, 
until  about  the  time  Fort  Donelson  was  taken. 

In  December,  1861,  Solomon  Palmer  was  employed  by  Colo- 
nel Wilson  manager  of  the  telegraph  in  Halleck's  department 
east  of  the  Mississippi,  to  take  charge  of  the  construction  party. 
If  Wilson  had  never  done  any  thing  else  during  his  management^ 
the  selection  of  Palmer  would  have  gone  a  long  way  to  make  it 
a  success  ;  but  the  next  month,  he  took  John  C.  VanDuzer  from 
his  own  telegraph  company's  employ  in  North  Missouri,  and  made 
him  chief  operator  of  the  military  lines  in  his  district.  These 
two  men  could  build  and  operate  a  military  telegraph,  if  it  was 
in  the  power  of  man.  Their  subsequent  career,  running  through 
the  war,  attests  Wilson's  foresight  and  their  own  rare  merits  for 
the  positions  that  fell  to  them. 

February  6,  Fort  Henry  was  captured  by  Admiral  Foote„  so 
much  quicker  than  General  Grant,  in  command  of  the  land 
forces,  considered  possible,  that  he  did  not  make  timely  prepa- 
rations to  intercept  the  retreat  of  the  Confederates,  most  of 
whom  reinforced  those  at  Fort  Donelson.  Federal  gunboats 
then  went  up  the  Tennessee  to  Florence,  Alabama,  nearly  two 
hundred  miles,  made  some  captures  and  returned.  General 
Grant  was  not  long  in  moving  over  twenty  thousand  troops 
across  the  peninsula,  where  he  besieged  Fort  Donelson.  Then 
came  a  force  of  ten  thousand  more  up  the  Cumberland,  and 
Foote's  gunboats,  and  then  the  battle.  Twenty  thousand  brave 
men  behind  works,  against  thirty  thousand  in  the  field.  The 
chances  of  each  would  seem  about  equal.  As  to  the  battle,  it 
was  simply  awful.  It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to 
describe  battles,  except  so  far  as  may  be  necessary  to  demon- 


174  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

strate  the  service  of  the  telegraph.  At  Donelson,  there  was  no 
telegraph.  The  field,  which  finally  stretched  from  river  bank 
to  river  bank,  was  miles  long.  At  a  perilous  moment.  General 
Grant  was  not  even  on  that  field,  but  had  gone  to  consult  with 
poor,  wounded  Foote,  on  his  disabled  gunboat.  There  had  been 
ample  time  for  the  erection  of  field  telegraphs,  but  war  was  new 
in  America,  and  the  telegraph  newer  yet,  and  so  regiments 
fought,  hour  after  hour,  against  overwhelming  numbers,  and 
were  finally  driven,  in  some  places,  to  where  there  were  troops 
enough  to  beat  back  the  enemy  in  their  turn;  a  conflict  of  arms 
that  swayed  to  and  fro,  hour  after  hour,  the  dead  and  dying 
fringing  the  advance  points  of  contact,  and  thus  marking,  by  a 
real  dead  line,  where  the  tide  ebbed,  or  how  far  it  flowed.  That 
was  a  tragedy  of  too  many  parts. 

Before  the  war  closed,  I  passed  many  times  over  this  fatal 
field,  and  in  the  woods,  almost  hidden  by  growing  vegeta- 
tion, might  be  seen  —  not  graves,  for  that  imports  a  better 
burial  —  but  mounds,  indicating  where  loved  sons  and  fathers 
had  been  laid  in  heaps  and  covered  over.  Oh,  the  sorrow  that 
was  spared  the  wife  or  mother,  who  little  imagined  that  such  a 
burial  was  the  usual  lot  of  the  heroes  who  thus  died  for  their 
country! 

The  investment  fairly  began  on  the  13th  of  February;  then 
came  the  strife  of  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth;  then  Floyd  and 
Pillow  and  Forrest  fled  by  night  taking  with  them  many  troops, 
and  leaving  Buckner  in  command  of  over  ten  thousand  more, 
beside  the  wounded,  not  to  fight,  but  to  surrender;  which  he  did 
on  the  morning  ot  the  sixteenth. 

At  this  point,  historically  speaking,  criticisms  are  in  order. 
It  is  marvelous  how  many  brilliant  generals  have  been  lost  to 
the*  world  in  -the  making  up  of  ready  critics.  Truly  the  pen  is 
mightier  than  the  sword.  We,  too,  would  be  tempted  (not 
irresistibly,  however),  to  explain  what  Grant  should  have  done, 
if  we  had  sufficiently  described  the  battle  to  lay  the  foundation 
for  censorious  remarks.  We  have  played  many 'games  of  chess, 
and  when  our  opponent  carried  off  our  queen,  we  saw  our  error. 
Doubtless,  if  Grant  were  to  fight  that  battle  again,  he  would  do 
better.  So  would  the  Confederates  act  differently.  They  would 
evacuate  before  they  were  invested. 


CIVIL   WAK  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  175 

At  this  time,  there  were  two  parties  at  work  building  tele- 
graph toward  Donelson;  Smith's,  from  Smithland,  and  Wilson's, 
from  Fort  Henry.  The  territory  was  clearly  in  Manager 
Wilson's  district,  but  Halleck,  who  had  yet  to  learn  the  real 
status  of  the  military  telegraph,  ignoring  Stager,  ordered  Smith 
to  aid  in  the  construction  of  this  line.  Accordingly,  Smith, 
with  W.  S.  Hewitt,  formerly  captain  of  Company  B,  of  the 
Fremont  Telegraph  Battalion,  and  Frank  S.  Van  Yalkenburg, 
as  chief  assistants,  began  at  Smithland  to  construct  the  line  to 
Fort  Henry;  and  Wilson's  party,  under  Van  Duzer  and  Palmer, 
commenced  as  stated.  When  the  line  was  finished  to  Fort 
Henry,  or  nearly  so.  Stager  ordered  Smith  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  on  reaching  St.  Louis,  February  25,  he  was  ordered 
back  by  Halleck. 

Of  course,  this  terminated  unpleasantly  to  some  one.  Cap- 
tain Stager  then  telegraphed  General  Halleck  his  authority  for 
controlling  the  military  telegraphs,  also  the  territory  assigned  to 
Wilson  and  Smith,  respectively;  adding,  that  if  either  failed  to 
meet  Halleck's  wishes,  they  should  be  reported.  Halleck 
replied  that  the  Paducah  line  had  not  been  kept  up;  that  ''there 
must  be  one  good  head  of  the  telegraph  lines  in  this  department, 
not  two,  and  that  head  must  be  under  my  immediate  control." 

Eight  here  it  may  well  be  stated  that  the  line  from  Cairo  to 
Paducah  was  built  on  the  Illinois  side,  near  the  river;  that  while 
Grant  was  about  operating  against  Fort  Henry,  an  extraordinary 
storm  inundated  the  country,  raising  the  river  to  an  almost 
unprecedented  height:  so  high,  indeed,  that  Foote's  gunboats 
could  pass  in  safety  over  the  rebel  torpedoes,  sunk  in  the  Ten- 
nessee; so  high  that  the  Paducah  telegraph  line  was  submerged 
for  miles.  Operator  Tiffany  and  a  repairer  nearly  lost  their 
lives,  trying  to  repair  it.  Dehris^  and  breaking  and  falling 
trees,  nearly  destroyed  the  line.  But  great  movements  were 
under  way,  and  Halleck,  at  St.  Louis,  was  impatient.  He  was 
in  communication  direct  with  Cairo,  via  Odin,  and  wanted 
Paducah  exceedingly,  at  any  cost. 

The  correspondence  continued;  Stager  insisting  that  the  field 
was  too  large  for  one  to  do  justice  to,  and  urging  other  potent 
reasons,  and  explaining  what  Halleck  must  have  known — that 
the  river  had  drowned  the  telegraph.     But  Halleck  insisted  on 

"^^  Of  TSX^< 


176  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

having  one  head,  and  having  indicated  a  preference  for  Smith, 
he  was  appointed  by  Stager,  although  Smith  telegraphed  Cap- 
tain Stager  that  he  did  not  want  that  territory.  The  Secretary 
of  War  fully  coincided  with  Captain  Stager,  but,  "on  the 
whole,"  it  was  not  considered  best  to  continue  to  oppose  Halleck, 
and  so  the  matter  ended.  Wilson's  retirement  proved  perma- 
nent, and  Smith  was  ordered  by  General  Halleck  to  "  crowd  the 
lines  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  Florence,  Alabama,  and  Memphis, 
Tennessee."  Smith's  territory,  being  co-extensive  with  Hal- 
leek's,  was  the  largest  field  embodied  in  any  of  the  departments. 
Before  we  take  a  final  leave  of  Colonel  Wilson,  let  us  note 
his  description.  It  will  be  found  below,  in  what  he  jocosely 
calls  his  ' '  death  warrant. "     Such  writs  were  quite  usual  then. 

Office  of  Provost  Marshal,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Oct.  5,  1861. 

Permission  is  granted  to  J.  J.  S.  Wilson  to  pass  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  city  and  county  of  St.  Louis,  to  go  to  Springfield. 

(Signed)  J.  McKinstry, 

Major  U.  S.  A.,  Provost  Marshal, 

On  the  back  of  which  is: 

Description  of  Person. — Name,  J.  J.  S.  Wilson  ;  age,  thirty- 
two;  height,  five  feet,  nine;  cplor  of  eyes,  blue;  color  of  hair,  light; 
peculiarities,  good  drinker.  It  is  understood  that  the  within  named 
and  subscriber  accepts  this  pass  on  his  word  of  honor,  that  he  is, 
and  will  be  ever,  loyal  to  the  United  States,  and  if  hereafter  found 
in  arms  against  the  Union,  or  in  any  w^ay  aiding  her  enemies,  the 
penalty  will  be  death.  (Signed)  J.  J.  S.  Wilson 

February  13,  General  Nelson  left  Camp  Wicklifie,  near  New 
Haven,  Ky.,  with  two  brigades  of  Buell's  army,  to  reinforce 
Grant  at  Fort  Donelson  ;  but  failing  to  reach  the  fort  in  time,  he 
proceeded  up  the  river  to  Nashville,  which  had  fallen.  About 
the  time  that  Nelson  passed  Smithland  going  up  the  river.  Gen- 
eral Sherman  was  at  Paducah,  and  exceedingly  anxious  about 
his  movements.  The  Colonel  commanding  at  Smithland,  like 
many  new  officers,  had  abiindante  cautela  on  the  brain,  and  im- 
agining that  there  might  be  a  rebel  operator  on  the  line  between 
Paducah  and  Smithland,  very  stupidly  placed  his  operator 
under  the  guard  of  two  soldiers,  to  prevent  his  talking  over  the 


CrV^JL.   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  177 

wire.  Of  course  he  could  pretend  to  be  sending  a  stale  message 
as  long  as  he  chose,  and  yet  be  only  talking.  The  wood-tick  the 
soldiers  had  learned,  or  would,  but  the  telegraph  tick  was  a 
hopeless  jargon.  Parker,  the  operator  at  Paducah,  was  duly 
informed  of  the  state  of  affairs,  and  thereupon  he  prepared 
an  order  for  Colonel  Dave  Stewart,  the  ranking  officer,  to 
sign,  releasing  the  Smithland  operator.  Parker  read  the  order 
aloud,  and  as  Stewart  was  about  signing  it,  Sherman,  who 
chanced  to  be  by,  said,  ''What's  that?  What's  that?"  and 
looking  at  it,  he  said,  "No,  the  Colonel  is  right.  Can  't  relieve 
the  guard." 

By  and  by,  Sherman  went  to  the  office,  when  the  following 
telegraphic  conversation  occurred  :  Parker  to  Smithland — "  Has 
the  steamer  Tarascon  passed  yet?"  Smithland — "I'm  under 
arrest  and  can't  answer  you. "  Parker — ' '  General  Sherman  wants 
to  know."  Smithland — "I  don't  care  if  it's  Halleck  himself. 
Pm  under  arrest,  and  can't  talk  about  such  things."  Parker — 
"Sherman  asks.  Do  you  know?"  Smithland — "Of  course,  I 
know."  Parker — "Sherman  wants  to  know  if  General  Nelson 
has  passed  up."  Smithland — "Tell  Sherman  to  send  a  mes- 
sage then. "  Parker — "  Do  you  know  ? "  Smithland — "  Certain- 
ly, I  do."  Parker — "How  far  is  the  colonel's  head-quarters?" 
Smithland — "  A  mile  and  a  half."  Sherman  to  Parker — "  What 
kind  of  a  fellow  is  that  operator? "  Parker — "He  seems  to  be 
good  at  obeying  orders.  It  was  a  foolish  thing  for  the  colonel 
to  put  soldiers  over  an  operator  to  keep  him  from  talking  by 
telegraph."  Sherman — "Well,  that's  so.  I  didn't  think  of 
that."  And  thereupon  Sherman  himself  wrote  the  order  releas- 
ing the  operator,  and  got  at  once  the  information  that  Nelson 
had  passed  up. 

Major  Smith  extended  the  line  from  Fort  Donelson  to  Clarks- 
ville,  via  the  Tennessee  Ridge,  thirty-nine  miles,  in  March,  and 
from  Clarksville  communication  was  opened  to  Nashville  direct, 
and  also  via  Bowling  Green,  Ky.  The  first  operators  on  this 
line  were,  at  Smithland,  Abe  D.  Dougherty  ;  at  Chaudits,  a  city 
of  two  log  houses,  owned  and  inhabited  by  a  Frenchman  and  his 
increasing  family  and  many  other  extremely  domQstic  animals — 
a  city  bounded  on  all  sides  by  a  howling  wilderness,  with  an  ex- 
cellent landing  a  few  rods  off,  where  guerrillas  were  wont 
12 


178  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURIim   THE 

to  cross  the  Tennessee  at  night— the  operator  to  take  to  the 
woods  a  minute  later,  when  Chaudits'  dogs  uttered  their  war- 
whoop;  here,  Robert  B.  Griffin  was  first  stationed.  In  a  month, 
Peter  Fowler  relieved  him  ;  but  Peter  endured  it  only  a  month, 
when  J.  R.  Thompson  came,  and  he,  for  a  month  only  ;  and  so 
it  went.  Fowler  and  Thompson,  brave  fellows  that  they  were, 
are  now  numbered  with  the  dead.  What  a  constitution  Griffin 
must  have  had,  to  survive  the  mosquitoes,  gallinippers  and  wood- 
ticks,  the  guerrilla  maraudings,  the  melancholy  wilderness  and 
the  horrible  ennui  of  this  Frenchman's  retreat.  At  Fungo,  say 
twenty-five  miles  farther  and  fifty  from  Smithland,  Thompson 
operated  before  going  to  Chaudits',  and  when  he  quit  Fungo 
(how  that  name  rolls  like  a  sweet  morsel  over  one's  tongue)  there 
was  none  so  good  as  to  do  it  reverence,  until  March,  1863,  when 
R.  H.  Bliven  created  a  great  flutter  among  the  only  two  damsels 
in  the  place,  by  opening  an  office  there.  These  offices  were 
purely  test  stations,  to  locate  breaks  in  the  line,  and  thereby 
speedily  remedy  the  mischief.  At  Fort  Henry,  Edward  Scher- 
merhorn  and  Alonzo  D.  Griffin  operated ;  at  Fort  Donelson, 
Charles  W.  Hammond,  until  relieved  in  May  by  J.  T.  Tifiany  ; 
at  Clarkesville,  J.  W.  Purnell,  in  June,  and  J.  G.  Webb,  in 
August.  Tiffany  became  chief  operator  of  this  line,  from  Don- 
elson to  Smithland,  distance  one  hundred  miles,  and  as  such,  it 
was  his  duty  to  travel  along  his  line  occasionally,  and  direct 
repairs.  Once,  while  out  with  a  repairer  named  Charles  Byers, 
he  was  fired  upon  from  the  bushes,  the  bullet  passing  through 
the  lappel  of  his  overcoat.  They  at  once  fired  into  the  brush, 
and  saw  traces  of  blood,  but  the  bushwhacker  escaped. 

Grant's  army  moved  up  the  Tennessee  River,  to  Pittsburg 
Landing,  about  thirty  miles  from  Corinth,  Miss.,  where  we  will 
leave  it  for  a  while,  and  turn  our  attention  again  to  affairs  in 
Missouri. 


We  left  Price  at  Osceola,  on  the  Osage,  with  eight  thou- 
sand men  about  him,  and  more  scattered  in  various  portions 
of  the  State,  recruiting  and  foraging,  if  not  actually  pillaging 
and  devastating.  The  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad  suffered 
greatly,  but  in  the  numerous  encounters  that  took  place,  owing 
generally  to  the  Federals  being  in  greater  numbers,  or  better 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  179 

armed  and  disciplined,  these  rebel  detachments  were  greatly  cut 
up.  The  Federals,  concentrating  at  Rolla,  under  General  S.  K 
Curtis'  immediate  command,  moved,  February  11,  through  Leb- 
anon, against  Price  ;  but  he  was  no  match  for  Curtis,  and  retired 
to  the  Boston  Mountains  in  the  north-west  corner  of  Arkansas, 
where  McCulloch's  forces  joined  Price's.  General  YanDorn  had 
assumed  command,  owing  to  the  want  of  cordial  concert  of  action 
between  Price  and  McCuUoch,  and  their  united  strength  was 
probably  twenty  thousand  men. 

Under  Curtis  were  Colonels  Osterhaus',  Jeff.  C.  Davis'  and  E. 
A.  Carr's  commands,  and  also  General  Asboth's,  aggregating 
fully  ten  thousand  men.  Curtis  pushed  on  a  few  miles  further 
into  Arkansas,  until,  fearing  the  increasing  force  of  VanDom, 
he  commenced  retiring.  But  the  enemy,  by  extraordinary  dili- 
gence, got  in  his  rear  in  force  (March  6,  1862),  and  Curtis  had 
either  to  fight  or  surrender,  which  latter,  he  and  his  subalterns 
and  soldiers  were  not  well  calculated  to  do. 

While  he  is  making  dispositions  to  receive  VanDom  at  Pea 
Ridge,  let  us  see  what  Major  Smith  had  accomplished  in  this 
direction  with  the  telegraph.  Placing  Duncan  T.  Bacon  (who 
had  been  on  the  North  Missouri  road  with  General  Schofield)  in 
charge  of  the  builders  (under  H.  C.  Weller)  and  operators,  south 
of  Rolla,  Smith  directed  him  to  build  the  line  as  far  as  the  army 
moved.     Before  it  reached  Lebanon,  an  office  was  open  there, 

where Harrison  operated.     Luke  O'Reilly  relieved  W.  H. 

Woodring,  at  Rolla,  January  31,  and  the  latter  took  the  Lebanon 
office,  where  he  remained  until  March  1,  when  being  again 
relieved  by  O'Reilly,  he  proceeded,  unguarded,  via  Waynesville, 
where  O.  A.  A.  Gardner  was  operating,  twenty-two  miles,  to 
Springfield,  through  a  storm  so  cold  as  to  compel  him  to  halt, 
and  build  fires  to  keep  from  freezing.  Bacon  pushed  the  line  on 
from  Springfield  toward  Bentonville,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  Rolla,  and  was  within  ten  miles  of  the  battle-field 
when  the  conflict  commenced. 

The  terrible  three  days'  struggle  between  the  contending 
forces  began  on  the  6th  of  March  ;  the  heroism  displayed  on 
that  memorable  field  was  never  excelled  in  battle.  Bacon  was 
present,  with  Curtis,  rendering  such  service  as  lay  in  his  power; 
but  there  was  no  telegraphic  communication  with  the  army,  and 


180  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

no  field  wire  during  the  battle,  in  which  the  Federals  lost  one 
thousand,  three  hundred  and  fifty-one  men  killed  or  wounded. 
The  telegraph  soon  spread  the  news  of  victory.  Having  fol- 
lowed Van  Dorn  some  distance,  Curtis  retired  to  Keytesville, 
and  then  to  Cassville. 

Not  long  after,  Van  Dorn  and  Price,  with  the  most  of  their 
forces,  joined  Beauregard,  at  Corinth,  but  not  in  time  for  the 
battle  of  Shiloh.  Curtis  determined  to  take  advantage  of  their 
absence,  and  again  entered  Arkansas,  with  seven  or  eight  thou- 
sand men;  but  as  the  guerrillas  would  jeopardize  his  communi- 
cations unless  he  strung  out  his  force  so  as  to  become  inefiective 
at  the  head,  he  wisely  determined  to  establish  a  new  base,  and, 
accordingly,  marched  eastward  to  Bate&ville,  Arkansas,  reaching 
there  May  6.  At  this  place,  on  the  White  Kiver,  not  far  from 
the  junction  with  the  Big  Black,  or  some  other  point  farther 
down,  Curtis  hoped  to  supply  his  army  by  water,  and  have  a 
shorter  route  to  his  objective.  Little  Kock,  the  State  capital;  but 
all  depended  upon  the  opening  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  mouth  of 
White  River  —  in  short,  upon  the  issue  at  Corinth,  where  the 
South-west  was  concentrating. 

In  furtherance  of  this  plan,  the  telegraph  superintendent  in 
Halleck's  department  was  ordered  to  construct  a  line  from  Pilot 
Knob,  Missouri,  to  Batesville,  Arkansas,  two  hundred  and  one 
miles.  This  line  was  com'pleted  by  way  of  Greenville,  Missouri, 
Pitmans  Ferry  and  Pocahontas,  Arkansas,  early  in  June,  and 
was  operated  at  Batesville  by  Luke  O'Reilly  and  H.  B.  Kunkle; 
at  Pocahontas,  by  Jno.  H.  Byrne  and  James  L.  Quate;  at  Pit- 
mans  Ferry,  by  Charles  Payne  and  Geo.  A.  Purdy;  at  Greenville, 
by  Geo.  J.  Talmadge  and  P.  B.  Frazier,  and  at  Pilot  Knob,  by 
Theodore  Holt  and  assistant.  All  of  these  offices,  except  those 
at  Curtis's  head-quarters  and  Pilot  Knob,  were  located  in  sparsely 
settled  regions,  and  continually  beset  by  guerrillas,  rendering 
the  operators'  and  repairers'  positions  exceedingly  perilous. 
On  the  30th  of  June,  a  party  of  guerrillas  entered  Pitmans 
Ferry  and  captured  Purdy  and  the  telegraph  property,  carrying 
Purdy  off  with  them.  James  L.  Quate,  at  Pocahontas,  was 
equally  unfortunate. 

It  was  Curtis's  expectation  to  meet  assistance  on  the  White 
River  and  march  across  the  country  to  Little  Rock,  in  which 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE    UNITED   STATES.  181 

event,  the  telegraph  was  to  be  extended  to  that  city.  In  less 
than  a  month  after  camping  at  Batesville,  Corinth  having  fallen, 
Curtis  took  Luke  O'Reilly  as  cipher  operator,  and  following  the 
river,  advanced  to  Clarendon,  where  he  had  reason  to  expect  to 
meet  Federal  gunboats,  under  Commander  Fitch,  and  troops 
known  to  have  started  up  the  White.  But  on  reaching  Claren- 
don, he  learned  of  the  return  of  the  expedition  the  day  previous. 
Fatigued  and  disheartened,  knowing  scarce  whither  to  turn,  in  a 
country  quite  uninviting  and  unproductive,  and  harassed  by 
well -mounted  parties,  he  determined  to  make  his  way  to 
Helena,  on  the  Mississippi,  which  place  he  reached,  after  rout- 
ing fifteen  hundred  Texan  horse,  under  Colonel  Rust ;  and 
so  Little  Rock  was  saved  to  the  Confederates,  and  Southern  and 
South-western  Missouri  again  opened  to  the  forays  of  predatory 
banditti,  who  were  not  slow  in  harassing  the  country.  Thus 
Purdy  and  Quale  were  captured  within  a  week  after  Curtis's 
departure.  The  immediate  abandonment  of  this  line,  south  of 
Greenville,  became  necessary 


Owing  to  the  successes  of  the  Federals  on  the  Tennessee  and 
Cumberland  rivers,  Columbus,  Kentucky,  which  General  Polk 
had  strongly  fortified,  was  rendered  untenable,  and  its  garrison 
greatly  reduced.  Early  in  March,  Commodore  Foote,  with  six 
gunboats,  and  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  with  several  thousand 
troops  on  transports,  moved  down  the  river  to  capture  the  place, 
but  found  a  Federal  cavalry  force  from  Paducah  already  in 
possession,  the  enemy  having  fled. 

It  is  related  that  Confederate  General  Polk  having,  by  strict 
orders,  excluded  intoxicating  liquors  from  Columbus,  the  opera- 
tors there  arranged  with  Emmet  Howard,  of  the  Hickman 
office,  to  send  them,  occasionally,  a  demijohn  of  Woodford 
County's  best,  labelled  "Nitric  acid,"  which  label  was  an  excel- 
lent passport.  This  ruse,  however,  at  last  failed,  and  Howard 
was  delegated  to  see  the  commandant  of  the  post.  Colonel 
Wickliffe,  and  represent  the  want  of  nitric  acid  for  their  Grove 
battery,  and  ask  an  order  for  three  gallons  of  the  best  Bourbon 
in  the  hospital,  to  use  in  lieu  of  acid.  Wicklifie  and  Howard 
were  quite  intimate.     The  latter  prepared  the  order,  and  hur- 


182  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

riedly  stated  the  necessities  of  the  service;  but  whether  Wick- 
liffe  feigned  ignorance  or  not,  it  mattered  little,  as  the  order  was 
signed.     Wicklifi'e's  acid  was  a  standing  joke  for  some  time. 

After  the  evacuation  of  Columbus,  Hickman  was  virtually 
held  by  couriers,  who,  in  case  the  telegraph  was  cut,  were  to 
notify  Polk,  at  Jackson,  by  telegraph  from  Union  City,  of  the 
passage  of  gunboats  for  Island  Number  Ten.  One  foggy  morn- 
ing, the  gunboats  appeared  at  the  wharf  near  the  office,  so 
unexpectedly  that  Howard  had  barely  time  to  seize  his  instru- 
ment and  with  a  leap,  as  for  dear  life,  reach  the  pavement, 
where  a  courier,  with  an  extra  horse,  was  posted.  Riding 
hastily  to  the  depot,  they  sprang  upon  a  hand  car,  well  manned, 
and  proceeded  rapidly  for  two  miles,  when,  in  a  deep  cut  on  a 
curve,  the  party  was  nearly  paralyzed  with  terror  at  sight  of  an 
engine,  rushing  upon  them.  They  jumped  from  the  car,  land- 
ing in  all  directions  and  positions  on  either  side,  as  the  engine  de- 
molished the  dar  and  threw  off  the  wreck.  Mounting  the  engine, 
they  proceeded  for  Union  City,  until  near  a  point  within  easy 
range  of  the  gunboats,  should  any  be  on  the  river  opposite,  where, 
out  of  caution,  they  stopped  to  reconnoitre.  While  so  doing,  they 
met  William  McCleskey,  operator,  who  was  also  fleeing.  On 
the  engine  were  Merritt  Harris,  C.  S.,  operator,  superintendent 
Culverhouse,  and  Conductor  Gardner.  McCleskey  reported 
five  thousand  cavalry  on  the  highway,  but  he  was  too  nervous 
to  be  good  authority.  Harris  and  Howard,  however,  at  some 
distance  from  the  engine,  discovered  the  Federals,  and  Howard, 
by  his  masterly  effort  to  reach  the  engine,  was  too  exhausted  to 
climb  up  unaided.  As  he  sank  on  the  floor  of  the  tender,  a 
volley  from  the  Federals  was  heard.  The  engineer  opened  the 
throttle,  but  the  locomotive  stirred  not;  capture  seemed  inevit- 
able; the  driving  rods  were  on  a  dead  center,  and  the  machine 
would  not  move;  but,  from  courage  or  desperation,  or  both,  the 
engineer  sprang  to  the  ground,  and  with  his  crowbar  moved  the 
driving  wheel,  when  the  engine,  trembling  like  a  thing  of  life, 
distanced  the  pursuers  as  if  itself  was  fleeing  from  fiends  incar- 
nate.    It  is  said  that  seven  miles  were  traveled  in  five  minutes. 

Bridges  were  burned,  and  no  more  Confederate  trains  passed 
north  of  Union  City  ;  but  Howard  was  ordered  back  to  within 
half  a  mile  of  Hickman,  where,  with  a  cross-tie  for  an  office,  he 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  188 

maintained  communication  with  General  Polk  several  days,  when 
he  was  relieved  by  operators  Harris  and  Johnston.  Harris,  sub- 
sequently, barely  escaped,  and  Johnston  was  captured  while 
concealed  in  the  house  of  a  friend,  but  made  his  escape  the  same 
night,  and,  after  getting  lost  in  the  swamps,  reached  Humboldt, 
Tenn. ,  exhausted.  Harris,  a  brave,  noble  and  generous  fellow, 
died  in  Texas  during  the  war,  beyond  the  reach  of  friends,  and 
in  a  strange  land. 

At  the  same  time  that  Curtis  was  wending  his  way  toward 
the  Ozark  Mountains,  in  North-west  Arkansas,  Grant's  troops, 
under  C.  F.  Smith,  embarking  for  Pittsburg  Landing,  Mitchell's 
about  moving  on  Huntsville,  Ala.,  Buell's  on  Savannah,  Tenn., 
and  Com.  Foote  and  Colonel  Ellet,  at  Cairo,  were  refitting  gun- 
boats and  building  rams.  General  John  Pope  was  busy  collecting 
forty  thousand  troops,  with  which  to  overcome  the  Confederates, 
who,  at  the  strongholds  of  New  Madrid,  Mo.,  and  Island  No. 
Ten  blockaded  the  Mississippi  River  and  defended  Memphis. 

In  anticipation  of  Pope's  operations  in  this  direction.  Major 
Smith  built  a  telegraph  line  from  Pilot  Knob,  through  Frederick- 
town  to  Cape  Girardeau;  thence  to  Commerce,  Mo.,  and,  as 
Pope  advanced  therefrom,  it  was  extended  by  way  of  Benton 
and  Sikeston,  under  the  immediate  direction  of  F.  S.  VanValken- 
burg,  to  New  Madrid,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  by  line  from 
Pilot  Knob.  A  cable  was  laid  from  Cairo  to  Birds  Point,  by 
Smith,  in  March,  which  was  connected  with  a  line  along  the  rail- 
road by  way  of  Charleston  to  Sikeston,  where,  by  means  of  a 
Hicks  repeater,  it  became  a  virtual  part  of  the  main  stem.  This 
gave  Halleck,  at  St.  Louis,  two  circuits  to  Sikeston,  one  by  way 
of  Pilot  Knob,  and  the  other  through  Illinois. 

Pope  invested  New  Madrid  on  the  3d  of  March,  and  pushed 
his  operations  with  remarkable  energy  and  boldness.  In  thirty- 
six  hours  after  telegraphing  Cairo  for  siege  guns,  they  were 
hurling  their  ponderous  missiles  against  the  enemy's  works. 
Aided  efficiently  by  the  gun-boats.  New  Madrid  and  No.  Ten  were 
surrendered,  as  indicated  by  the  following  papers,  the  last  of 
which  is  believed  to  be  in  the  hand-writing  of  Thomas  A.  Scott, 
Assistant  Secretary  of  War,  then  with  General  Pope  : 


184  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Head-quakters,  District  Mississippi. 
New  Madrid,  April  10,  1862. 
General  Order,  No.  30. 

The  following  dispatch  from  Major  General  Halleck,  command- 
ing this  department,  has  been  received,  and,  with  this  order,  will  be 
published  at  the  head  of  every  regiment  and  detachment  of  this 

command. 

St.  Louis,  April  8,  1862. 
Major  General  Pope  : 

I  congratulate  you  and  your  command  on  your  splendid  achievement.  It 
excels  in  boldness  and  brilliancy  all  other  operations  of  the  war.  It  will  be 
memorable  in  military  history,  and  will  be  admired  by  future  generations. 
You  deserve  well  of  your  country. 

H.  W.  Halleck,  Ma^.  Oen.  Gomdg. 

The  General  Commanding  has  little  to  add  to  this  dispatch.  The 
conduct  of  the  troops*  was  splendid  throughout.  To  such  an  army 
nothing  is  impossible,  and  the  General  Commanding  hopes  yet  to 
give  them  an  opportunity  to  win  the  glory  which  they  are  so  capable 
of  achieving.  The  regiments  and  battalions  of  this  command  will 
inscribe  on  their  flags  "  New  Madrid  "  and  Island  Ten.'''* 

John  Pope,  Maj.  Gen.  Comdg. 

For  the  Associated  Press  Agent,  Cairo  : 

New  Madrid,  April  11,  1862. 

The  following  general  order  was  read  at  the  head  of  every  com- 
mand in  General  Pope's  army,  last  evening,  and  created  the  wildest 
enthusiasm.  All  are  ready  to  stand  by  their  commander  in  any 
enterprise  that  may  be  necessary  for  the  good  cause.  It  is  a  noble 
army,  and,  if  they  can  have  an  opportunity,  their  action  will  be  all 
that  could  be  desired  by  the  most  ardent  patriot. 

(Operator  here  insert  Order  No.  30.) 

Nearly  all  the  troops  that  crossed  the  Mississippi  have  returned 
to  New  Madrid.  The  number  of  prisoners  will  exceed  the  statement 
of  General  Pope.  They  continue  to  come  into  camp  in  lots  of  five 
to  fifty,  and  the  whole  number  will  probably  exceed  seven  thousand 
— over  six  thousand  five  hundred  being  now  enrolled.  It  is,  there- 
fore, certain  that  but  few,  if  any  of  General  McCall's  army  escaped. 
Yesterday,  two  splendid  batteries  of  light  artillery  (rifled  guns) 
were  found  in  the  woods,  and  a  great  amount  of  valuable  property 

♦First  five  words  Inserted  by  the  author,  as  beginning  of  the  sentence  is  destroyed  In  the 
original. 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  185 

is  being  found  by  our  troops,  consisting  of  horses,  mules,  wagons, 
arms,  etc.,  etc.  This  movement  has  certainly  been  the  most  com- 
plete and  successful  one  of  the  war — every  thing  captured,  and  not 
a  man  lost  by  our  forces. 

Forts  Pillow  and  Eandolph,  between  Memphis  and  Island 
No.  Ten,  were  soon  after  evacuated,  and,  June  6,  Memphis  sur- 
rendered to  the  navy. 

The  operators  on  these  south-east  Missouri  lines,  pending  Pope's 
operations,  or  a  part  of  them  were,  at  Pilot  Knob,  James  H.  Doug- 
lass and  Theo.  Holt ;  Fredericktown,  Z.  P.  Hotchkiss ;  Cape 
Girardeau,  J.  R.  Dunlap  ;  Commerce,  W.  W.  Livergood  (April); 
Benton,  Simon  T.  Yonkers;  Sikeston,  Jno.  J.  Egan,  J.  R. 
Thompson  ;  Pope's  Head-quai-ters,  F.  S.  VanValkenburg,  Wm. 
Spinner  and  A.  S.  Hawkins  ;  Birds  Point,  Livergood  (March) 
and  Thompson  (April);  Cairo,  W.  H.  Bromell,  G.  A.  Burnett, 
G.  Burnapp  chief  operator,  H.  W.  Nichols,  James  K.  Parsons 
and  Geo.  Stillman. 

That  part  ot  the  line  connecting  Pilot  Knob  with  Sikeston 
was  through  a  region  much  infested  by  guerrillas,  and  the  opera- 
tors in  some  of  the  places  received  little  or  no  protection.  Au- 
gust 16,  S.  D.  Howard,  operator  at  Charleston,  reported  at 
Cairo  office,  that  at  eleven  o'clock  the  night  previous,  he  was 
surprised  in  his  office  by  a  party  of  forty  guerrillas,  who 
wrenched  out  his  instruments,  demolished  his  office  and  came 
near  capturing  him ;  but  he  effected  his  escape  through  a  back 
window,  uninjured,  although  he  was  fired  at  and  badly  fright- 
ened. 

In  anticipation  of  the  capture  of  Memphis,  Duncan  T.  Bacon 
was  sent  there,  to  aid  in  opening  communication  in  West  Ten- 
nessee, and  reached  the  city  the  first  evening  of  its  occupation. 
While  Fitch's  gunboats  were  going  up  the  White  River,  to  meet 
Curtis,  who  had  left  Batesville  as  we  have  seen,  messages  report- 
ing progress  were  frequently  brought  from  them  to  Bacon,  by 
couriers,  for  transmission  in  cipher  to  Halleck,  who  was  then  at 
Corinth — the  lines  having  been  repaired  to  that  place,  as  will  soon 
appear.  General  Hovey,  at  Memphis,  claimed  the  right  to  copies 
of  these  overland  messages ;  but  Bacon  refused  them,  and  was 
ordered  under  arrest.  The  New  York  Tribune  correspondent, 
A.  D.  Richardson,  then  in  that  city,  wrote  up  the  affair,  thus : 


186  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

On  Wednesday,  General  A.  P.  Hovey,  commanding  this  post, 
ordered  D.  T.  Bacon,  Esq.,  Manager  of  the  Military  Telegraph,  to 
furnish  him  copies  of  official  dispatches  from  General  Halleck  to 
General  Curtis  and  Colonel  Fitch.  General  Hovey's  motives  were, 
doubtless,  good— to  keep  himself  advised  of  every  thing  affecting 
his  post,  directly  or  indirectly  ;  but  Mr.  Bacon  knew  his  duties  too 
well  to  commit  so  gross  a  breach  of  official  duty  required  of  him. 
He  respectfully  declined  to  obey  the  order.  General  Hovey  directed 
his  arrest,  but  Mr.  Bacon  was  absent  from  the  office  when  the  orderly 
arrived,  and  one  of  his  associates,  Mr.  VanValkenburg,  was  arrested 
instead.  The  case  was  laid  before  General  Halleck,  by  Mr.  Bacon, 
when  "Old  Brains  "  promptly  replied:  "Release  the  operator  at 
once.     He  did  perfectly  right  in  disobeying  your  orders." 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  187 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE  TELEGRAPH  IN  KENTUCKY,  TENNESSEE  AND  NORTHERN 
ALABAMA.— MILL  SPRINGS.  — CUMBERLAND  GAP.  — MOR- 
GAN'S  RAIDS  IN  KENTUCKY— SHILOH. 

Having  located  Grant's  army  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  in  the 
center,  and  Pope's  at  Island  Number  Ten  on  the  right,  let  us  now 
look  to  the  left,  Buell's  army,  so  long  neglected.  For,  in  time, 
these  three  commands  united  before  Corinth,  under  Halleck's 
personal  direction,  to  meet  a  like  concentration  of  the  Confed- 
erates, under  Polk,  from  Columbus,  their  left,  and  Johnston, 
from  Kentucky,  their  right. 

How  well  General  G.  H.  Thomas,  commanding  at  Camp 
Dick  Robinson,  succeeded  in  organizing  the  nucleus  of  the 
army  of  the  Cumberland,  may  be  gathered  from  the  events  that 
occurred  a  few  months  after.  General  George  B.  Crittenden 
superseded  Zollicoffer,  and,  hoping  to  beat  the  Federals  in 
detail,  rather  than  risk  all  on  a  general  engagement  likely  soon 
to  occur,  he,  with  ten  regiments  of  infantry,  six  cannon  and 
some  cavalry,  crossed  the  Cumberland,  and  advanced  to  surprise 
a  few  Federal  regiments.  But  no  surprise  occurred,  and  Gen- 
eral Thomas,  having  also  advanced,  met  Crittenden  January  19, 
1862,  when  what  is  known  as  the  battle  of  Mill  Springs  took 
place.  The  Federal  force  engaged  was  six  regiments,  one 
battery  and  a  part  of  Wolford's  cavalry  regiment.  Zollicoffer 
was  slain,  and  the  Confederates,  driven  across  the  river,  fled  to 
the  Cumberland  Mountains. 

A  few  days  before  this  occurred.  Colonel  James  A.  Garfield, 
commanding  a  small  brigade,  drove  the  Confederates,  number- 
ing about  twenty-five  hundred,  under  General  Humphrey 
Marshall,  out  of  South-eastern  Kentucky. 

In  anticipation  of  General  Thomas's  operations,  William  G. 
Fuller  was  called  from  West  Virginia  to  superintend  the  build- 
ing and  operating  of  the  United  States  Military  Telegraph  south 


188  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

and  south-east  of  Lebanon,  Kentucky,  leaving  Samuel  Bruch  to 
attend  to  the  telegraphic  requirements  of  General  Buell's  main 
army,  also  about  to  advance.  Fuller  reported  to  Buell,  Decem- 
ber 20,  1861,  and  was  immediately  sent  to  Lebanon,  Kentucky, 
to  organize  and  await  orders.  He  could  not  get  men  enough 
there  to  constitute  a  gang  of  builders,  and  was  obliged  to  send 
to  Ohio  for  them.  Among  those  responding  was  William  L. 
Tidd,  his  foreman,  a  most  conscientious  and  capable  man,  who, 
in  the  sad  course  of  events,  as  we  shall  see,  lost  his  life  in  the 
telegraph  service.  Horses  (except  condemned  ones)  could  not 
be  obtained,  but  Tidd,  without  the  use  of  a  whip,  broke  twelve 
wild  mules  into  the  traces,  with  the  best  results.  General 
Thomas  arrived,  and  ordered  a  line  to  Danville.  This  was  com- 
pleted January  4,  and  from  there,  via  Stanford,  it  was  built  to 
Somerset,  seventy  miles  from  Lebanon.  The  storms,  bad  roads 
and  blockading  army  wagons,  made  Fuller's  progress  slow. 
His  wagon  wheels  sank  to  the  hubs,  and  it  was  often  necessary 
to  corduroy  the  road.  The  day  that  "Mill  Springs,"  sometimes 
called  "Logan's  Cross  Roads,"  was  fought,  the  line  was  com- 
pleted as  far  as  ordered,  viz.^  to  Somerset.  The  following  are 
the  first  two  messages  ever  sent  concerning  that  Federal  victory, 
the  news  of  which  so  electrified  the  people  of  the  North,  espe- 
cially in  the  Western  States  : 

Battle-field  near  Logan's  Cross  Roads,  Ky., 

January  19. 
To  Brig.  Gen.  Buell.,  Louisville,  Ky.: 

The  enemy  attacked  us  early  this  morning,  and  were  repulsed; 
Zollicoffer  and  Bailie  Peyton  killed.     I  write  this  in  the  saddle. 

(Signed)  G.  H.  Thomas. 

Brig.  Genl. 

Somerset,  Ky.,  Jan.  19,  3:  30  p.m. 
To  Capt.  Fry,  A.  A.  G.,  Chief  of  Staff,  Louisville,  Ky.: 
The  following  just  received: 

Battle-field,  Jan.  19, 1862. 
To  Brig.  Genl.  Schoepf  : 

We  are  on  the  way  to  Mill  Springs,  driving  the  enemy  into  his  intrench- 
ments.  He  attacked  us  this  morning  about  six  o'clock,  fought  well,  but  was 
repulsed  in  a  handsome  manner  by  our  troops,  and  is  now  in  full  retreat. 
Zollicoffer  and  Bailie  Peyton  killed,  and  a  large  number  of  men.    "We  have 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  189 

captured  four  ammunition  wagons,  with  contents,  and  one  piece  of  cannon. 
Join  us  by  Hudson  or  the  Salt  Works.  Do  not  order  in  the  companies  working 
on  the  roads.  G.  H.  Thomas,  Brig.  Gen. 

T.  S.  Everett, 

Capt.  A.  A.  G. 

This  line  was  first  operated  by  William  H.  Drake  at  Leba- 
non, D.  E.  Martyn  at  Danville,  James  Meagher  at  Stanford,  and 
A.  Ellison  and  R.  Brown  at  Somerset.  Brown  was  relieved  by 
Philip  Bruner. 

As  soon -^  as  the  foregoing  telegrams  were  received,  Buell 
directed  this  one  to  Fuller  : 

Louisville,  Jan.  19,  1862. 
To  W.  G.  Fuller,  Supt.  Telegraphs,  Somerset,  Ky.: 

Return  with  all  possible  haste  to  Lebanon,  Ky.,  and  push  the 
wire  south  from  that  place.  (Signed)  J.  B.  Fry, 

A.  A.  G.  and  Chief  of  Staff, 

From  Lebanon  south,  every  thing  went  well  until  the  morn- 
ing of  the  thirty-first,  when  the  party  was  thirteen  miles  out,  on 
the  Columbia  road.  The  builders  were  started  early,  and  the 
camp  party  directed  to  proceed  at  eleven,  with  the  wagons,  and 
feed  the  builders  in  passing  to  the  next  camp.  Fuller,  leaving 
his  navy  revolvers,  new  boots,  fur  cape,  gloves  and  a  fii;ie  field 
glass  with  the  wagons,  went  to  Lebanon  to  get  money  for 
the  men.  The  line  had  been  completed  four  miles  ahead  of  the 
camp  on  the  thirtieth,  and  the  builders  were  fully  five  miles 
away  when,  about  nine  a.  m.,  Captain  John  H.  Morgan,  with 
ten  men,  including  his  nephew,  Samuel  Morgan,  pounced  upon 
the  camp,  capturing  William  C.  Olney,  A.  Wells,  Sylvester  W. 
Bartlett,  George  McCadden  and  a  hired  slave;  also  nine  horses, 
the  wagons  and  all  the  baggage  of  the  builders.  Morgan  him- 
self appropriated  Fuller's  articles  and  a  field  telegraph  instrument. 
A  citizen  coming  up  was  dismounted  and  put  into  the  Pleasant 
Hill  church,  near  by,  which,  with  all  of  Fuller's  equipments  not 
carried  off,  was  fired,  and  then  the  band  decamped.  Two  com- 
panies of  the  First  Ohio  Cavalry  pursued  them  for  two  days 
without  success,  Morgan  having  reached  the  south  bank  of  the 
Green  River  as  the  Ohioans  came  up  to  the  north  side.  He 
carried  off  some  fifty  stolen  horses  and  twenty  citizens.     Fuller 


190  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

personally  lost  one  hundred  and  ninety  dollars  worth,  and  the 
twenty-four  builders,  all  but  the  clothes  they  had  on.  Doubtless 
the  citizen  in  the  church  escaped.  The  camp  party  Avas  released 
at  Murfeesboro,  Tennessee.  No  further  mishap  occurred  during 
the  building  of  this  line  to  Jamestown  (February  10),  on  the 
Cumberland  (seventy-five  miles  from  Lebanon),  where  Colonel — 
afterward  General,  and  then  Governor — Bramlette  was  in  com- 
mand, except  that  Fuller's  party  was  shot  at  several  times  by 
guerrillas. 

,  In  consequence  of  failure  to  send  Fuller  a  telegraph  instru- 
ment, he  was  unable  to  open  the  Columbia  office  as  soon  as  the 
line  reached  there.  General  J.  T.  Boyle,  in  command  there, 
was  greatly  provoked  at  this,  and  threatened  to  shoot  Fuller ; 
but  that  expert  telegrapher,  to  Boyle's  astonishment,  sent  his 
important  messages  by  using  the  wire  ends  as  a  key  and  his 
tongue  as  a  sounder,  whereupon  Boyle,  patting  Fuller  on  the 
back,  said  he  was  too  useful  to  be  shot  yet.  To  the  uninitiated 
it  may  be  well  here  to  explain,  that  the  telegraph  wire  is  charged 
by  a  battery  at  one  or  both  ends  of  a  line.  Both  ends  are  con- 
ducted to  the  ground,  which  serves  the  purpose  of  a  return 
wire.  This  ground  connection  must  be  made  or  there  will  be 
no  perceptible  current,  and  so,  when  the  line  is  severed,  there 
is  no  noticeable  current  on  either  side  of  the  break.  The  main 
line,  for  convenience  of  manipulating,  is  run  to  a  telegraph  key, 
to  open  which  is  the  same  as  cutting  the  line.  Fuller  held  the 
ground  end  in  one  hand  and  the  main  line  end  in  the  other;  every 
time  he  touched  them  the  circuit  became  complete,  and  was 
indicated  on  the  instrument  at  Lebanon  precisely  as  if  the  circuit 
was  opened  and  closed  by  a  telegraph  key.  There  was  hence  no 
difficulty  in  sending  the  message,  but  to  know  that  it  was  re- 
ceived was  more  troublesome.  Everybody  knows  what  it  is  to  be 
shocked  by  a  battery.  Telegraph  characters,  we  have  said,  are 
composed  of  dots,  spaces  and  dashes,  which  are  ordinarily  read 
by  the  ear;  but  Fuller,  having  no  instrument,  could  only  deter- 
mine them  by  electric  shocks;  i.  e.^  a  long  shock  would  indicate 
a  t,  longer  yet  an  1,  and  yet  longer  a  cipher ;  a  succession  of 
quick  ones  meant  i,  s,  h,  p,  and  others,  with  an  intermission  of 
time,  e,  c,  r,  o,  and  yet  others,  by  quick  and  lengthened  shocks, 
as  in  f,  b,  q,  etc.     It  was  by  such  shocks  that  Fuller  received  an 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  191 

acknowledgment  of  the  message  on  his  tongue,  which  being 
moist,  is,  perhaps,  the  most  sensitive  part.  While  such  occur- 
rences are  rare,  some  are  too  well  authenticated  to  admit  of  any 
question. 

Four  days  after  Morgan  fell  upon  Fuller's  party,  the  author, 
then  a  boy  of  sixteen  years,  rode  over  that  same  way  with  Ful- 
ler, en  route  for  his  first  military  telegraph  office.  Stopping 
over  night  at  Campbellsville,  a  place  of  several  log  houses,  one 
of  which  was  called  a  tavern,  with  bolted  doors,  in  a  dingy 
room,  half  exposed  by  a  candle  that  was  intended  to  illuminate, 
Mr.  Fuller,  late  at  night,  in  an  awfully  solemn  way,  aftet  ad- 
ministering an  oath  which  he  was  legally  unqualified  to,  impart- 
ed the  mysteries  of  the  Government  cipher. 

John  A.  Cassell,  another  beardless  youth,  was  located  at 
Camp  Green,  near  Jamestown.  In  March,  1862,  Bramlette,  the 
commander,  was  ordered  to  move  his  force  to  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing. In  consequence,  many  country  women  came  into  camp  to 
bid  their  relations  and  friends  farewell.  These  people  were 
greatly  taken  with  the  telegraph,  and  one  young  lady,  venturing 
too  much,  was  severely  shocked  by  the  powerful  battery,  which 
Weems,  operating  at  Louisville,  connected  for  that  purpose. 
After  that  the  ladies  kept  away  from  Cassell  and  accused  him  of 
playing  naughty  tricks  upon  them.  Sam  Bruch,  who  had  a 
deal  of  quiet  humor  about  him,  reprimanded  the  young  opera- 
tor in  terms  which  concealed  the  sting,  just  as  a  mother's  smile, 
while  berating  her  boy,  convinces  the  latter  that  he  may  do  so 
again  with  impunity. 

Speaking  of  the  ignorance  prevailing  along  that  line,  con- 
cerning the  telegraph,  it  may  be  added  that,  while  Fuller's 
builders  were  constructing  the  line,  one  woman  ran  to  them, 
gesticulating  wildly,  and  exclaimed  that  they  must  not  construct 
it  past  her  house.  "  Why,"  said  she,  "I  can  not  even  spank 
my  babies  without  all  the  world's  knowing  it;  "  and  a  denizen 
who  had  discovered  a  pole  that  had  been  struck  by  lightning, 
hurried  to  General  Boyle  and  reported  that  a  message  had  been 
lost  down  that  pole.  An  old  countryman  about  Mount  Vernon, 
Kentucky,  at  a  later  period,  being  told  by  operator  Jones  how 
fast  the  telegraph  was,  thought  the  operator  was  imposing  on 
him,  and  interrupting,  said,  "Stranger,  that's  a lie. 


192  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

A  humming-bird  is  the  fastest  bruit  on  y'erth,  and  it  can't  begin 
to  make  the  time  you  say  this  thing  makes. "  A  repairer,  who 
had  become  expert  with  the  climbers,  was  trimming  trees  in 
Danville,  when  an  old  woman  Avho  watched  his  operations,  re- 
marked, "  What  can't  these  Yankees  do  !  One  of  'em  was  here 
and  walked  up  and  down  the  trees  like  a  devil. " 

Cassell  moved  his  office  to  Jamestown,  where,  wholly  unpro- 
tected and  thirty  miles  from  any  Federal  troops,  he  continued 
to  telegraph.  Guerrillas  raided  the  town  several  times,  but  the 
Lucas  people,  with  whom  he  boarded,  although  Secessionists, 
successfully  hid  the  young  operator. 

The  same  day  that  Grant  invested  Fort  Donelson,  Buell 
telegraphed  Fuller  to  construct  a  line  from  Stanford  toward 
Cumberland  Gap,  in  East  Tennessee,  against  which  place  Briga- 
adier  General  Carter  soon  moved.  The  suflerings  of  Fuller  and 
his  party  on  this  route  were  very  great.  Nearly  every  man 
became  sick.  To  avoid  the  incessant  rain  for  one  night,  they 
slept  in  a  house  recently  used  by  the  rebels  as  a  small-pox  hos- 
pital. London  was  reached  March  20.  A  few  days  later 
Charles  Stremple,  a  sick  builder  left  behind,  died.  General 
Geo.  W.  Morgan  assumed  command  of  the  Federal  forces  April 
11.  Flat  Lick,  beyond  Barboursville,  was  reached  by  the  teleg- 
raphers April  20,  and  Cumberland  Ford  a  week  later.  Then  the 
rebels  destroyed  seven  miles  of  line,  which  was  rebuilt.  May 
10,  the  wire  was  extended  ten  miles  up  Clear  Creek  to  the  foot 
of  Pine  Mountain.  Then  a  line,  thirty-five  miles  long,  running 
from  Colliers  Fork  to  Flat  Lick,  was  built,  and  that  through 
Barboursville  was  taken  down.  Barboursville  was  put  in  circuit 
by  a  seven  mile  loop.  After  much  maneuvering  by  the  Federals 
and  Confederates,  which  nobody  can  understand  without  great 
topographical  research,  in  which  each  party  appeared  at  times 
extremely  anxious  to  meet  the  other,  General  Morgan,  June  18, 
found  the  enemy  away,  on  one  of  his  strategetical  expeditions, 
and  took  peaceable  possession  of  Cumberland  Gap,  the  ' '  Gibral- 
tar of  America."  Then  followed  an  order  to  take  down  thirty- 
four  miles  of  side  lines,  and  erect  twenty  miles  more  connecting 
the  camps  of  Colonel  De  Courcey,  on  the  Kentucky  road,  and 
Generals  Carter  and  Baird,  on  the  Tazewell  road,  with  the  main 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  193 

stem.  This  was  promptly  accomplished.  Another  line,  six 
miles  long,  connected  the  remaining  brigade.  Knoxville,  sixty 
miles  distant,  was  to  be  connected,  but  General  Bragg's  army 
coming  into  Kentucky  in  the  fall,  com.pelled  Morgan's  to  fall 
back. 

Fuller,  aided  by  Foremen  Tidd  and  D.  E.  Newton,  had  ac- 
complished a  great  work  among  the  rocky  cliffs,  cruel  roads  and 
barren  mountains  of  this  region.  Constantly  beset  with  new 
difficulties,  the  corps  never  faltered.  It  is  a  pleasing  fact  that 
throughout  the  war  the  corps  never  failed  to  erect  a  telegraph 
over  any  route,  no  matter  how  troublesome  or  how  long,  that  the 
troops  could  themselves  pass  over.  Many  a  line  was  built, 
however,  where  an  army  could  not  pass.  From  Stanford  to 
Cumberland  Gap  is  one  hundred  and  fourteen  miles.  This,  with 
the  Somerset  and  Jamestown  lines,  made,  exclusive  of  say 
seventy-five  miles  of  telegraph  built  in  the  region  of  the  Gap, 
two  hundred  and  forty-five  miles  of  line  erected  in  the  first  six 
months  of  1862,  in  a  country  beset  with  armed  and  unarmed 
enemies. 

After  a  ride  of  forty  miles,  July  2,  Fuller  became  suddenly 
and  dangerously  ill.  The  physician  pronounced  it  a  case  of 
poisoning.  Whatever  it  was.  Fuller  was  incapacitated  for 
further  service  for  months.  Consequently,  Bruch  placed 
Charles  Lehr  in  charge  of  the  district,  but  before  Fuller  was 
able  to  leave,  the  rebel  Colonel  —  late  Captain  —  John  H.  Mor- 
gan, the  special  enemy  of  the  Federal  telegraph,  with  his 
operator,  George  Ellsworth,  a  Canadian,  struck  Somerset  (July 
22)  on  his  return  from  an  extensive  raid  upon  the  Federal  com- 
munications, which  may  properly  be  here  related. 

Early  in  July,  after  a  minor  engagement  at  Tompkinsville, 
Kentucky,  Morgan,  with  two  regiments  and  several  companies 
of  cavalry,  entered  Glasgow  at  midnight  and  halted  near  Cave 
City,  a  station  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad.  Morgan, 
Ellsworth  and  fifteen  soldiers  reached  a  point  half  a  mile  below 
Horse  Cave,  on  the  tenth,  when  Ellsworth  connected  his  tele- 
graph instrument  with  the  main  line  to  read  passing  telegrams. 
By  the  use  of  a  ground  wire,  he  cut  the  southern  towns  from 
the  circuit,  and  answered  for  them  when  the  northern  towns 

13 


194  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

called,  without  awakening  suspicion.     The  first  message  of  con- 
sequence, was  as  follows : 

Louisville,  July  10,  1862. 
To  S.  D.  Brown,  Bowling  Green: 

You  and  Colonel  Houghton  move  together.  I  fear  the  force  of 
Colonel  H.  is  too  small  to  venture  to  Glasgow.  The  whole  force 
should  move  together,  as  the  enemy  is  mounted.  We  cannot 
venture  to  leave  the  road  too  far,  as  they  may  pass  round  and  ruin 
it.  (Signed)  J.  T.  Boyle, 

Brig.  Gen.  Comdg. 

The  Louisville  operator,  for  about  two  hours,  was  busy  send- 
ing messages,  he  supposed,  to  Nashville,  which  were  mainly 
commercial.  These  had  to  be  repeated  the  next  day.  At 
about  midnight,  before  returning  to  camp,  Morgan  manufactured 
and  Ellsworth  telegraphed  the  following  message: 

Nashville,  Ju.y  10,  1862. 
To  Henry  Dent,  Provost  Marshal,  Louisville: 

General  Forrest,  commanding  a  brigade,  attacked  Murfreesboro, 
routing  our  forces,  and  is  now  moving  on  Nashville.  Morgan 
reported  to  be  between  Scottsville  and  Gallatin,  and  will  act  in 
concert  with  Forrest,  it  is  believed.  Inform  the  general  command- 
ing. (Signed)  Stanley  Matthews, 

Provost  Marshal. 

Moving  north-easterly,  Morgan  entered  Lebanon  quite  unex- 
pectedly, very  early  on  the  morning  of  the  twelfth,  capturing  a 
few  prisoners.  Ellsworth,  with  a  suitable  guard,  quickly  took 
possession  of  the  telegraph  office,  where  he  found  on  file  the 
following  telegram: 

Lebanon,  July  11,  1862. 
Gen.  J.  T.  Boyle,  Louisville,  Ky.: 

I  have  positive  information  that  there  are  four  hundred  maraud- 
ers in  twenty  miles  of  this  place,  on  the  old  Lexington  road, 
approaching  Lebanon.     Send  reinforcements  immediately. 

(Signed)  A.  Y.  Johnson, 

*■  Lieut.  Col.  Comdg. 

At  this  time  the  author  was  day,  and  W.  H.  Drake,  night 
operator  at  Lebanon  Junction,  and  D.  E.  Martyn  at  Lebanon. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  195 

Martyn  successfully  eluded  capture  by  hiding  in  the  willows  of 
Aqua  Closet  Run,  which,  he  said,  ''  odoriferously  effervesced 
noisome  effluvia,  but  was  an  awful  good  place  to  hide  in." 
When  the  author  came  on  duty,  he  inquired  of  ''B"  (Lebanon), 
about  Morgan,  and  was  informed  that  some  of  his  troops  had 
attacked  the  place,  but  were  driven  off.  He  then  sent  a  message, 
to  which  the  operator  at  "B"  signaled  "OK,"  a  signal  never 
used  by  Martyn,  who  should  be  on  duty.  This  caused  suspicion 
that  all  was  not  right.  It  was  slim  evidence,  and  soon  overcome  by 
Drake's  declarations  that  he  had  been  talking  with  him  by  the  hour. 
This  is  a  sample  of  the  conversation  Drake  had  been  holding. 
To  ''B" — What  news?  any  more  skirmishing  after  your  last 
message  ?"  To  "Z"  (the  call  for  the  Junction) — No  ;  we  drove 
what  little  cavalry  there  was  away.  To  ''B" — Has  the  train 
arrived  yet  ?  To  "  Z '  — No.  About  how  many  troops  on  train  ? 
To  "  B  " — Five  hundred  ;  Sixtieth  Indiana,  commanded  by  Colo- 
nel Owens.  Ellsworth's  curiosity  being  excited  as  to  what  sta- 
tion "  Z "  was,  he  became  puzzled  how  to  ascertain  it  without 
creating  suspicion.  Finally,  he  adopted  the  following  plan.  To 
"  Z" — A  gentleman,  here  in  the  office,  bets  me  the  cigars  you 
can  not  spell  the  name  of  your  station  correctly.  To  "B" — 
Take  the  bet.  L-e-b-a-n-o-n  J-u-n-c-t-i-o-n.  How  did  he  think  I 
would  spell  it  ?  Ellsworth — He  gives  it  up.  He  thought  you 
would  put  two  b's  in  Lebanon.  Drake — Ha,  ha  !  He's  a  green 
one.  Ellsworth— Yes,  that's  so.  What  time  did  the  train  with 
soldiers  pass?  Drake— 8:30  last  night.  Ellsworth— Very  sin- 
gular where  the  train  is  !  Drake — Yes,  it  is.  Let  me  know 
when  it  arrives.  (Later).  The  train  has  returned.  They  had 
a  fight  with  the  rebels  at  New  Hope.  The  commanding  officer 
awaits  orders  here.  Ellsworth— Give  us  the  particulars  of  the 
fight.  Colonel  Johnson  is  anxious  to  know  all  about  it.  Drake — 
Here  is  Moore's  message  to  General  Boyle : 

Lebanon  Junction,  July  12. 
To  General  J.  T.  Boyle,  Louisville  : 

At  eleven  o'clock  last  night,  at  New  Hope  Station,  part  of  my 
command  encountered  a  force  of  rebel  cavalry  posted  on  the  coun- 
try road,  one-half  mile  south  of  the  railroad.  After  a  brisk  fire  of 
musketry   for   twenty  minutes,   tbe   enemy  was   routed,  and  fled. 


196  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Skirmishers  were  sent  out  in  different  directions,  but  were  unable 
to  find  the  enemy.  At  three  this  morning,  apprehending  that  an 
effort  might  be  made  to  destroy  the  bridges  in  our  rear,  we  moved 
down  to  New  Haven  and  remained  until  after  daylight,  when  the 
train  went  back  to  the  scen^e  of  the  skirmish.  A  Mr.  Foreman,  of 
Owen  County,  was  found,  mortally  wounded.  He  reported  the  rebel 
force  at  five  hundred  and  fifty,  under  command  of  Captain  Jack 
Allen,  and  that  they  had  fallen  back  toward  Greensburg.  One 
horse  was  killed,  and  three  captured.  The  books  of  the  company 
were  found  on  the  field.  Blood  was  found  at  different  places,  show- 
ing that  the  enemy  was  severely  punished.  No  casualties  on  our 
side.     Here,  with  train,  awaiting  orders. 

(Signed)  O.  F.  Moore,  Commanding. 

At  nine,  a,  m.,  the  following  was  sent  by  Z,  which  was  a 
repeating  station  for  the  Cumberland  Gap  line  : 

Louisville,  July  12. 
To  Colonel  Johnson,  Lebanon  : 

Leave  good  guard,  and  join  Colonel  Owens.     Pursue  the  enemy 
and  drive  him  out.     Be  cautious  and  vigorous.     Make  no  delay. 
(Signed)  J.  T.  Boyle,  Brig.  Gen.  Comdg. 

Louisville,  July  12. 
To  Colonel  Owens,  Lebanon  : 

You  will  move  after  the  enemy,  and  pursue  him. 

(Signed)  J.  T.  Boyle,  Brig.  Gen.  Comdg. 

About  noon,  and  before  Owen's  arrival,  Morgan  left  Lebanon 
for  Midway,  a  station  equi-distant  from  and  between  Frankfort, 
the  State  capital,  and  Lexington,  where  operator  J.  W.  Wool- 
ums  was  captured  and  made  to  ask  Lexington  the  time  of  the 
day  (ten,  a.  m.,  fifteenth),  so  that  Ellsworth  could  discover  his 
style  of  operating.  Lexington  office  telegraphed  the  operator  at 
Midway  : 

Will  there  be  any  danger  in  coming  to  Midway  ?  Is  every 
thing  right  ?  (Signed)  Taylor,  Conductor. 

Ellsworth  replied  : 

To  Taylor,  Lexington  : 

All  right.     Come  on.     No  sign  of  any  rebels  here. 

(Signed)  "Woolums. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  197 

But  the  train  which  started,  returned,  and  escaped  capture. 
About  this  time  the  author  arrived  at  Frankfort  to  assist  the 
operator  there,  while  Morgan  threatened  the  place,  and  he  well 
remembers  that  Ellsworth  was  quickly  discovered,  after  he  began 
attempting  Woolums'  style,  and  consequently  that  military  dis- 
patches were  sent  to  Lexington,  in  cipher,  via  Cincinnati,  and 
the  Lexington  operators  were  warned  to  look  out  for  Ellsworth, 
who,  however,  reports  further  operations  by  use  of  his  ground 
wire,  which  cut  off  Frankfort.     Ellsworth  says  : 

Again  I  answered,  and  received  the  following  message  : 

Lexington,  July  15,  1862. 
To  General  Finnell,  Frankfort  : 

I  wish  you  to  raove  the  forces  at  Frankfort,  on  the  line  of  the  Lexington 
raih'oad  immediately,  and  have  the  cars  follow  and  take  them  up  as  soon  as 
possible.  Further  orders  will  await  them  at  Midway.  I  will,  in  three  or  four 
hours,  move  forward  on  the  Georgetown  pike.  Will  have  most  of  my  men 
mounted.  Morgan  left  Versailles  this  morning  at  seven  o'clock,  with  eight 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  on  the  Midway  road,  moving  in  the  direction  of 
Georgetown.  (Signed)  Brig.  Gen.  Ward. 

This  being  our  position  and  intention  exactly,  it  was  thought 
proper  to  throw  General  Ward  on  some  other  track  ;  so,  in  the 
course  of  half  an  hour  I  manufactured  and  sent  the  following  dis- 
patch, which  was  approved  by  General  Morgan  : 

IDWAY,  July  16,  1862. 
To  Brigadier  General  Ward,  Lexington  : 

Morgan,  with  upwards  of  one  thousand  men,  came  within  a  mile  of  here, 
and  took  the  old  Frankfort  road,  bound,  as  we  suppose,  for  Frankfort.  This 
is  reliable.  (Signed)  Woolums,  Operator. 

In  about  ten  minutes,  Lexington  again  called  Frankfort,  when 
I  received  the  following  : 

Lexington,  July  16, 1862. 
To  General  Finnell,  Frankfort : 

Morgan,  with  one  thousand  men,  came  within  a  mile  of  here,  and  took  the 
old  Frankfort  road.  This  dispatch  received  from  Midway,  and  is  reliable. 
The  regiment  from  Frankfort  had  better  be  recalled. 

(Signed)  General  Ward. 

I  receipted  for  this  message,  and  again  manufactured  a  message 
to  confirm  the  information  General  Ward  had  received  from  Mid- 
way, and  not  knowing  the  tariff  from  Frankfort  to  Lexington,  I 
could  not  send  a  formal  message,  so,  appearing  greatly  agitated,  I 
waited  until  the  circuit  was  occupied,  and  "  broke  in,"  telling  them 


198  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

to  wait  a  minute,  and  commenced  calling  Lexington.    He  answered 
with  as  much  gusto  as  I  called  him.     I  telegraphed  as  follows  ; 

Frankfort  to  Lexington  : 

Tell  General  Ward  our  pickets  are  just  driven  in.  Great  excitement. 
Pickets  say  the  force  of  the  enemy  must  be  two  thousand. 

(Signed)  Operator. 

It  was  now  two,  p.  m.,  and  General  Morgan  wished  to  be  off  to 
Georgetown.  I  ran  a  secret  ground  connection,  and  opened  the 
circuit  on  the  Lexington  end.  This  was  to  leave  the  impression 
that  the  Frankfort  operator  was  skedaddling,  or  that  Morgan's  men 
had  destroyed  the  telegraph.  We  arrived  at  Georgetown  about 
sundown.  I  went  to  the  telegraph  office  ;  found  it  locked  ;  en- 
quired for  the  operator  (Smith),  who  was  pointed  out  to  me.  *  * 
After  tea  I  put  in  my  own  instruments.  After  listening  an  hour 
or  two  at  the  Yankees  talking,  I  opened  the  conversation,  as  follows, 
signing  myself  "Federal  Operator."  To  Lexington — "  Keep  mum. 
I  am  in  the  office,  reading  by  the  sound  of  my  magnet  in  the  dark. 
I  crawled  in  when  no  one  saw  me.  Morgan's  men  are  here,  camped 
on  Doctor  Gano's  place."  To  Georgetown — "  Keep  cool.  Don't 
be  discovered.  About  how  many  rebels  are  there."  To  Lexington 
"  I  don't  know.  I  did  not  notice,  as  Morgan's  operator  was  asking 
me  about  my  instruments.  I  told  him  I  sent  them  to  Lexington. 
He  said  '  Damn  the  luck,'  and  went  out."  To  Georgetown — "  Be 
on  hand,  and  keep  us  posted."  To  Lexington — "  I  will  do  so.  Tell 
General  Ward  I  will  stay  up  all  night,  if  he  wishes."  To  George- 
town— "  Mr.  Fulton  wishes  to  know  if  the  rebels  are  there."  To 
Cincinnati — "Yes,  Morgan's  men  are  here."  To  Georgetown — 
"  How  can  you  be  in  the  office,  and  not  be  arrested  ?  "  To  Cincin- 
nati— "Oh,  I  am  in  the  dark,  and  am  reading  by  the  magnet."  To 
Georgetown — "  Where  is  your  assistant?  "  I  replied,  "  Don't  know." 
Lexington  then  asked  me,  "  Have  you  seen  him  to-day  ?  "  I  replied 
"  No."  That  was  the  last  telegraphing  I  could  do  in  Georgetown, 
as  it  exposed  the  fraud,  the  operator  having  no  assistant. 

The  operators  at  Cynthiana  and  Paris  decamped  with  their 
instruments.  At  Cynthiana,  Morgan  was  resisted  quite  bravely, 
but  the  place  was  gained,  and  several  hundred  prisoners  taken, 
after  an  aggregated  loss  of  over  one  hundred  killed  and  wounded. 
Morgan  soon  reached  Richmond,  where  he  hoped  to  remain  and 
collect  recruits,  but  General  G.  Clay  Smith  and  Colonels  Wool- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN    THE   UNITED   STATES.  199 

ford,  Medcalf,  Munday  and  Wynkoop  were  seeking  his  capture, 
so  he  moved* to  Crab  Orchard,  striking  the  Cumberland  Gap  line 
again.  Connecting  his  instrument,  Ellsworth  claims  to  have  once 
more  deceived  the  Union  operators  on  this  line,  especially  at  Som- 
erset, which  place  was  reached  the  same  day.  Ellsworth's  claims 
are  doubtless  entirely  fictitious.  The  operators  on  this  line  had  been 
notified  to  be  on  the  look  out  for  him,  and  operator  Ellison, 
at  Somerset,  made  his  escape.  Ellsworth  did  connect  near  Crab 
Orchard  and  hear  some  of  the  precautionary  suggestions,  but 
nothing  of  value  to  him  or  Morgan.  James  Jones  was  operator 
at  Mt.  Vernon,  and  about  ten,  a.  m.  ,  some  one  called  his  office 
("MC"),  and  asked:  "  Where's  Morgan  ?  "  Jones  at  once  be- 
came satisfied  from  the  style  of  operating  that  it  was  Ellsworth, 
but,  feigning  satisfaction,  he  promptly  but  falsely  replied ; 
"Morgan  was  south  of  Eichmond  this  morning.  Woolford's 
cavalry  and  the  Ninth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  are  in  close  pursuit. 
Our  troops  here  are  preparing  to  cut  Morgan  ofi  in  the  direction 
of  Somerset.  I  think  we  will  bag  the  rascals."  The  force  at 
"  MC "  consisted  of  one  convalescent,  the  operator  and  about 
forty  home  guards.  A  party  of  them  afterwards  scouted  into 
Crab  Orchard,  but  saw  no  enemy,  and  returned.  Jones  had 
hurried  Morgan's  whole  force  to  Somerset  by  the  direct  road, 
which  place  he  hoped  to  reach  ahead  of  the  "MC"  column. 
Thus  Morgan  was  fairly  driven  by  telegraph. 

Ellsworth  was  readily  discovered  on  the  wire  at  Somerset. 
James  Meagher,  operating  at  Stanford,  was  run  out  of  town  by 
a  detachment  of  Morgan's  men,  who  shot  at  him  while  he  was 
climbmg  a  fence.  One  ball  passed  between  his  legs,  taking  out 
a  slice,  but  there  was  no  catching  Jimmy,  who  had  been  a  pris- 
oner at  Columbia.    The  following  telegrams  were  sent  or  received 

by  Ellsworth,  at  Somerset. 

Somerset,  July  22,  1862. 
To  George  D.  Prentice,*  Louisville: 

Good  morning,  George  D.  I  am  quietly  watching  the  complete 
destruction  of  Uncle  Sam's  property  in  this  little  burg.  I  regret 
exceedingly  that  this  is  the  last  that  comes  under  my  supervision 
on  this  route.  I  expect  in  a  short  time  to  pay  you  a  visit,  and  wish 
to  know  if  you  will  be  at  home.     All  well  in  Dixie. 

John  H.  Morgan,  Commanding  Brigade, 

*Tlio  most  prominent  editor  In  the  State. 


200  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

To  General  J.  T.  Boyle,  Louisville: 

Good  morning,  Jerry;  this  telegraph  is  a  great  institution.  You 
should  destroy  it,  as  it  keeps  me  too  well  posted.  My  friend,  Ells- 
worth, has  all  your  dispatches  since  the  10th  of  July  on  file.*  Do 
you  wish  copies?  John  H.  Morgan, 

Commanding  Brigade. 

To  Hon.  Geo.  W.  Dunlap,  Washington,  D.  C: 

Just  completed  my  tour  through  Kentucky;  captured  seventeen 
cities,  destroyed  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  United  States  prop- 
erty. Passed  through  your  county,  but  regret  not  seeing  you.  We 
paroled  fifteen  hundredf  Federal  prisoners. 

Your  old  friend,  John  H.  Morgan, 

Commanding  Brigade. 

Barboursville,  Ky. 
To  General  John  H.  Morgan,  Somerset: 

General :  I  am  informed  that  you  have  my  field  glass  and 
pistols,  captured  in  my  camp  on  the  pike  between  Lebanon  and 
Campbellsville,  Kentucky,  January  31.  Please  take  good  care  of 
them.  Yours  truly,  W.  G.  Fuller. 

Somerset,  Ky.,  July  22. 
To  W.  G.  Fitller  : 

Glad  to  hear  that  you  are  well.  Yes;  I  have  your  field  glass 
and  pistols.  They  are  good  ones,  and  I  am  making  good  use  of 
them.  If  we  both  live  till  the  war  is  over,  I  will  send  them  to  you, 
sure.  (Signed)  John  H.  Morgan. 

From  Somerset  Morgan  proceeded  to  Monticello,  Livingston 
and  Sparta,  and  went  into  camp,  having  traveled  over  one  thou- 
sand miles  in  twenty-four  days. 

The  following  operators  were  on  the  Gap  line,  patriotically 
enduring  untold  privations,  viz :  at  Stanford,  James  Meagher 
and  J.  R.  Clark;  at  Mt.  Vernon,  James  Jones;  at  London,  J. 
G.  Garland  until  relieved  by  Frank  Benner;  at  Barboursville, 
J.  G.  Garland  until  relieved  by  Hugh  Craig;  at  General  Geo. 
W.  Morgan's  head-quarters  and  about  the  Gap,  John  A.  Cassell, 
Hugh  Craig,  J.  G.  Garland  and  Robert  Wagner.  The  next 
time  we  meet  these  young  men,  they  will  be  found  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  Confederate  forces,   and  after  much  personal 

♦A  Joke  based  on  a  smattering  of  fact.  fAn  exaggeration. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN    THE   UNITED   STATES.  201 

adventure,  risk  and  hardship,  we  will  honorably  land  most  of 
them  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  But  while  they  are  rusticating 
among  the  ignorant,  eating  hot  corn  bread,  corn  dodgers,  corn 
hoe  cakes,  corned  pork,  fresh  pork  fattened  on  corn,  sweet  pota- 
toes and  hard  tack,  we  will  inquire  after  the  corps  in  the  south- 
ward march  with  General  Don  Carlos  Buell. 


We  left  the  main  army  in  the  middle  of  November,  at  Mul- 
draugh's  Hill.  When  Sherman  succeeded  Anderson,  Rousseau 
took  the  immediate  command  and  advanced  to  Nolin,  on  the 
Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad,  fifty-three  miles  from  Louisville. 
A.  D.  McCook  arriving,  ranked  Rousseau.  McCook,  by  order 
of  Buell,  December  9,  1861,  advanced  to  Bacon  Creek,  near 
Munfordsville,  where  General  O.  M.  Mitchell  joined  the  army. 
The  first  United  States  Telegraph  built  south  of  Louisville  was 
an  eighteen  mile  loop,  erected  in  January  and  February,  along 
a  branch  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad,  connecting 
Bardstown  and  Bardstown  Junction.  Samuel  L.  Risdon  opened 
and  operated  the  office  at  Bardstown.  C.  H.  Griffith  and  G. 
W.  Rouser  were  operators  at  Mitchell's  head-quarters  after  his 
arrival  and  assuming  command  at  Bacon  Creek;  Martin  Barth 
was  at  McCook's  office,  and  when  Munfordsville  was  taken,  D. 
C.  Sellers  operated  that  office. 

It  is  said  that  while  at  Bacon  Creek,  C.  H.  Griffith  and  Thom- 
as Anderson,  then  a  citizen  of  New  Albany,  Indiana,  a  Federal  spy, 
escorted  by  five  companies  of  the  Fourth  Ohio  Cavalry,  went 
through  Edmondson  County,  via  Mammoth  Cave,  and  struck  the 
railroad  between  Rocky  Hill  and  Smith's  Grove,  and  between  the 
forces  of  Generals  Hindman  and  Buckner  at  Cave  City,  and  those 
with  the  commander,  General  Albert  S.  Johnston,  at  Bowling 
Green.  The  cavalry  returned,  leaving  Griffith  and  Anderson,  and 
losing  six  men  in  a  brush  with  a  portion  of  Colonel  Terry's  Texas 
cavalry  regiment.  Griffith  tapped  the  telegraph,  and>  copied 
many  important  messages,  while  remaining  in  the  woods  three 
days  and  nights  by  the  instrument  which,  it  should  be  stated, 
can  be  put  in  circuit  without  even  opening  or  breaking  the  cur- 
rent. So  long  as  an  operator  is  content  to  remain  quiet,  and 
does  not  allow  himself  to  interrupt  the  working  of  the  wire,  no 
suspicion  is  excited;  but  an  operator's  manipulation  of  the  key 


THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

is  almost  as  distinctively  individual  as  his  voice,  and  if  he 
attempts  telegraphing  or  interferes  with  others,  suspicion  is 
usually  aroused. 

Near  his  retreat,  Griffith  found  the  line  fastened  to  an  insu- 
lator on  a  tree — quite  a  common  thing  in  those  days.  Climbing 
the  tree  he  was  able  to  bend  the  wire  around  a  dead  limb,  which 
held  the  line  taught.  He  next  ran  two  silk  covered  wires,  no 
larger  than  linen  thread,  down  the  tree  and  through  the  under- 
brush about  sixty  feet,  where  they  were  connected  with  his 
instrument.  This  accomplished,  he  filed  the  main  line  in  two 
between  the  fine  wire  connections,  when  his  office  under  a  ledge 
of  rocks  was  ready  for  business.     Anderson  stood  watch  outside. 

The  valuable  messages  received  were  then  copied  on  tissue 
paper  in  a  fine  hand  and  pressed  into  silver  eggs,  which  were 
about  the  size  of,  and  screwed  together  like  ladies'  ivory  thimble 
holders.  Before  starting  north,  Griffith  and  Anderson  depos- 
ited these  eggs  within  their  persons.  Hiding  their  instrument, 
vise,  etc.,  and  repairing  the  wire,  after  being  three  days  on  the 
line,  they  started  for  McCook's  head-quarters,  but  were  captured 
by  General  Hindman's  men.  General  Hindman's  head-quai'ters, 
at  Cave  City,  were  at  the  house  of  Judge  Roberts,  a  Union  man. 
Joe  Quigley  kept  the  town  tavern,  and  one  Dolby  also  resided 
there.  These  were  all  Union  men.  In  well-worn  citizen's 
clothes,  Griffith  and  Anderson  appeared  and  were  questioned  by 
Hindman  ;  but  they  told  a  straight  story  of  how  they  were 
trying  to  reach  their  homes  in  Louisville.  Hindman,  not  finding 
anything  suspicious  in  this,  nor  about  their  clothes,  remanded 
them  to  the  guard  house,  probably  without  very  strict  orders. 
Anyhow,  Griffith,  being  a  Mason,  was  not  long  in  getting  leave 
to  go  to  the  hotel  kept  by  old  man  Quigley,  and  through  the 
influence  of  a  captain,  there  found,  he  got  Anderson  out  also. 
Dolby  and  Robei-ts  were  here  met,  and  the  same  story  of  want- 
ing to  get  home  repeated,  and  Roberts,  it  seems,  somehow 
obtained  from  Hindman  passes  by  which  they  reached  the  Union 
lines  and  reported,  first  to  McCook  and  then  to  Mitchell,  who 
was  farther  back.  Both  generals  were  delighted  at  the  success 
of  the  enterprise,  and  Mitchell  telegraphed  the  results  to  Buell, 
at  Louisville.     It  is  said  that  the  information  so  obtained  enabled 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE    UNITED   STATES.  203 

the  Federals  to  form  quite  an  accurate  idea  of  the  forces  on  the 
railroad,  and  of  Morgan's  preparations  at  Glasgow. 

Sixteen  thousand  of  Johnston's  troops  were  removed  from 
Bowling  Green  to  Fort  Donelson,  leaving  Johnston  only  about 
eight  thousand,  and  Buell,  before  being  solicited,  started  about 
ten  thousand  in  steamers  to  Grant's  aid.  These  were  the  forces 
that  went  up  the  Cumberland  with  Foote's  flotilla,  just  in  time  to 
enable  Grant  to  capture  that  fortress.  Without  them,  it  can  not 
be  doubted,  had  Grant  forced  a  battle,  he  would  have  been  un- 
successful. Johnston  commenced  the  abandonment  of  Bowling 
Green  the  day  that  Grant  invested  Fort  Donelson,  and  on  learn- 
ing of  its  fall,  directed  the  evacuation  of  Columbus.  He  halted 
a  short  time  at  Murfreesboro,  thirty  miles  below  Nashville,  the 
capital  of  Tennessee,  to  gather  the*  remnants  of  his  Mill  Spring 
and  Donelson  forces  around  those  that  retired  from  Bowlingf 
Green,  and  then  pushed  south-west,  to  Corinth,  Miss.,  which, 
ma  Waynesboro  and  Savannah,  Tenn.,  is  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  miles. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Federals  did  not  possess  them- 
selves of  Cumberland  Gap  until  the  middle  of  June.  Had  Buell 
pushed  Thomas  in  that  direction,  as  repeatedly  urged,  even  be- 
fore and  after  the  battle  of  Mill  Springs,  Knoxville,  Chattanooga, 
and  the  strong  mountain  fastnesses  of  all  East  Tennessee  and 
Northern  Georgia,  would  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
Federals,  enabling  them  to  work  incalculable  injury  to  the  Con- 
federates. Between  Chattanooga  and  Corinth  there  were  no 
railroads  or  navigable  rivers  leading  south.  Corinth,  Miss., 
Chattanooga  and  Knoxville,  Tenn. ,  were  on  the  direct  line  of  the 
railway  running  from  Memphis,  Tenn. ,  through  Northern  Georgia, 
East  Tennessee  and  Virginia,  to  Lynchburg  and  Kichmond.  Cut 
that  line,  and  Johnston,  at  Corinth,  could  only  communicate  by 
rail  with  Richmond  via  Meridian,  Miss.,  Montgomery,  Ala., 
Atlanta  and  Augusta,  Ga.,  or  some  other  route  east  of  Mont- 
gomery, but  no  better,  and  all  leading  as  far  east  and  south  as 
Branchville,  S.  C. 

Buell  had  no  difficulty  in  entering  Nashville,  but  the  railroad 
and  suspension  bridges  over  the  Cumberland  at  that  city  were 
completely  destroyed.  Bruch  repaired  the  South-western  Tele- 
graph Com'pany's  lines   to  Nashville  ^jj^grjj^jrnij^^'^  Bowling 

^■*^  OP  THB^^ 

ufiversitt; 


204  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Green  and  Clarksville,  rebuilding  forty  miles  that  had  been  de- 
stroyed between  Bowling  Green  and  Green  Eiver. 

Bruch  and  operator  Ellis  J.  Wilson  entered  Nashville  with 
the  troops,  and  took  possession  of  the  city  office,  but  it  was  not 
until  two  days  later  that  operator  S.  P.  Peabody  came,  and 
astonished  as  well  as  alarmed  Bruch  by  his  successful  but  hazard- 
ous efforts  to  climb  the  northern  pier  of  the  suspension  bridge, 
and  handle  the  wire  while  it  was  being  stretched  across  the 
Cumberland. 

While  Bruch,  Wilson  and  Peabody  were  arranging  the  old 
telegraph  office,  Con.  Dwyer,  fresh  from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  was  at 
Bowling  Green,  with  his  face  southward.  Gen.  eTohnston,  before 
leaving  this  place,  had  tired  the  round-house,  which  at  the  time  con- 
tained about  twelve  fine  engin'es.  The  Barren  Eiver  bridge  being 
destroyed,  the  Federals  tried  to  construct  a  train  out  of  the  debris 
remaining  at  Bowling  Green.  The  result  was  an  engine  patched 
up  from  odds  and  ends,  without  head-light,  cow-catcher  or  cab. 
It  looked  a  snorting  wreck  on  wheels.  There  were  a  few  cars 
attached ;  one  was  a  box  car,  in  which  sat  the  Hon.  Andrew 
Johnson,  Military  Governor  of  Tennessee,  en  route  for  its  capital; 
Dwyer  and  others  also  rode  there.  On  a  level  track  the  engine 
was  a  success,  but  whenever  an  up  grade  was  struck,  every  body 
but  the  Honorable  Andrew  got  out  and  footed  it,  while  the  en- 
gine made  running  jumps  to  reach  the  top.  Finally,  late  at 
night,  the  passengers  reached  Edgefield,  and  crossed  the  river  to 
Nashville.  Only  one  light  was  visible.  That  was  at  the  City 
Hotel,  but  the  proprietor  gave  Dwyer  a  withering  grin  when 
asked  for  a  room.  Piloted  to  the  telegraph  office,  he  finds  Bruch 
and  the  operators  delighted  to  receive  him. 

A  word  about  this  office,  relic  of  the  telegraphic  year  one. 
It  was  upstairs,  on  Cedar  street.  The  Southern  operators  had 
left  everything  intact.  There  was  a  great  accumulation  of  ma- 
terial there,  in  anticipation  of  being  cut  off  from  the  North. 
This  was  devoted  to  Federal  purposes.  There  was  rubbish  of 
all  kinds  lying  about.  A  long  table,  breast  high,  ran  across  in 
front,  over  which  was  a  frame,  and  on  that  was  a  network  of 
wires.  From  this  primitive  switch,  the  Avires  depended  to  thumb- 
screws, and  thence  to  instruments.  These  latter  had  the  old 
time  high  resistance  magnets,  with  registers.     Beneath  the  table 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  205 

were  great  boxes  to  receive  the  paper  strips  ;  also  high  stools  on 
w^hich  the  operator  sat  and  gradually  became  stoop-shouldered 
and  consumptive.  In  the  rear,  Avell  back,  where  it  was  almost 
dark,  sat  old  Mr.  Carville,  the  former  manager,  a  fine  specimen 
of  the  old  time  gentleman.  He  could  not  telegraph.  His  duties 
were  mainly  to  audit  the  accounts.  At  the  head  of  the  stairs 
was  an  eight  by  ten  sleeping  room,  where  mosquitoes  and  bed- 
bugs did  most  of  the  sleeping.  As  theirs  was  entirely  night 
work,  they  were  not  disturbed  of  their  rest,  but  it  was  hard  for 
an  operator  to  sleep  when  their  business  hours  came.  The  bugs 
were  quiet  and  unobtrusive  until  the  operator  was  asleep  ;  then 
they  flanked  him  on  all  sides.  They  even  co-operated  with  the  mos- 
quito. This  insect  had  a  plan  of  singing  continually,  unless 
engaged  in  sharpening  his  tools  or  at  lunch.  His  song,  never 
very  agreeable,  soon  became  extremely  monotonous.  Instead 
of  inviting  Morpheus,  as  some  music  does,  this  drove  him  off. 
It  was  Avorse  than  the  rebel  yell.  Consequently,  when  sleep 
came,  it  was  deep.  Everything  being  quiet,  the  bugs  and 
mosquitoes  put  in  their  big  licks.  The  sleeper,  with  a 
groan  or  a  sigh,  grows  restless.  That  is  a  part  of  the  scheme, 
for  he  unwittingly  kicks  the  clothes  off.  When  dawn  appears, 
the  operator  discovers  he  has  been  throwing  up  breast-works  all 
over  himself.  He  feels  as  if  they  had  been  mounted  by  mitrail- 
leuses, and  then  he  thinks — ".Home,  sweet,  sweet  home;  be  it 
ever  so  humble,  there's  no  place  like  home." 

The  provost  guard  reported  finding  in  the  city  about  seventy 
miles  of  unfinished  wire  in  process  of  manufacture.  Dwyer,  Ellis 
J.  Wilson,  S.  P.  Peabody,  Philip  Bruner,  late  of  Somerset,  Ky. 
office,  Mark  D.  Crane  and  D.  C.  Sellers  operated  there  in  March. 
In  April,  J.  S.  Cotton  came.  Martin  Barth  followed  the  army 
until  taken  sick,  in  February,  when  he  was  permanently  located 
at  Bowling  Green. 

From  Nashville  there  were  two  great  railroad  routes  leading 
south,  and  joining  the  road  which  connects  Memphis  with  Rich- 
mond, Va.  One  ran  almost  due  south,  to  Decatur,  Ala. ,  and  the 
other  south-east,  to  Stevenson,  Ala.  Johnston  fell  back  slowly 
to  Decatur  and  Corinth.  While  in  the  neighborhood  of  Colum- 
bia, C.  H.  Griffith  and  Tom  Anderson  disguised  as  tin  peddlers, 
again  essayed  to  tap  the  telegraph  ;  this  time  between  Lynnville 


206  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

and  Columbia.  Near  Columbia  they  sold  out  their  horse,  wagon 
and  stock  to  a  country  store-keeper.  Then  they  separated,  one 
going  toward  Lynnville,  and  the  other  in  the  direction  of  Colum- 
bia ;  but  they  met,  after  much  trouble,  near  the  railroad,  where 
Griffith  listened  to  Confederate  telegrams  for  one  day  and  a  part 
of  two  nights,  taking  copies  as  before.  Hindman's  old  pass  was 
considered  good  by  the  Confederate  pickets,  consequently  Grif- 
fith had  no  trouble  in  reaching  the  Union  lines  ;  but  Anderson 
barely  got  in  with  the  Federal  forces  again,  as  he  took  a  route  via 
Shelbyville,  where  he  had  to  kill  a  man  to  escape. 

Griffith  was  sent  to  the  Gallatin,  Tenn.,  office,  in  March, 
where  he  did  not  cut  so  good  a  figure.  On  Sunday,  the  sixteenth, 
Captain  John  H.  Morgan,  with  about  forty  of  his  men,  suddenly 
entered  the  town.  We  will  let  the  Eev.  F.  Senour  tell  the 
rest,  as  he  does  in  his  ''Morgan  and  his  Captors": 

Morgan's  first  act  was  to  arrest  all  the  Union  men  of  the  place, 
and  confine  them  in  the  guard-house  ;  then  he  dressed  himself  in 
the  uniform  of  a  Union  soldier,  and  proceeded  to  the  telegraph 
office  at  the  railroad  depot,  a  short  distance  from  the  town.  Enter- 
ing the  office,  the  following  conversation  took  place:  "Good  day, 
sir  !  What  news  have  you  ? "  "  Nothing,  sir,  except  it  is  re- 
ported that  the  rebel  Morgan  is  this  side  of  the  Cumberland,  with 
some  of  his  cavalry.  I  wish  I  could  get  sight  of  the  rascal ;  I'd 
make  a  hole  through  him  !  "  While  thus  speaking,  the  operator 
drew  a  fine  Navy  revolver,  and  flourished  it  as  if  to  satisfy  his 
visitor  how  desperately  he  would  use  it,  if  he  should  happen  to 
meet  the  famous  guerrilla.  "  Do  you  know  who  I  am  ?  "  quietly 
remarked  Morgan.  "  I  do  not,"  replied  the  operator.  ''Well,  T  am 
John  Morgan."  At  these  words,  the  operator's  cheeks  blanched, 
and  his  knees  smote  together,  as  did  Belshazzar's,  when  he  saw  the 
mysterious  handwriting.  After  the  frightened  man  had  somewhat 
recovered,  Morgan  required  him  to  teleo^raph  a  message  to  George 
D.  Prentice,  of  the  Louisville  Journal^  in  which  he  politely  offered 
to  act  as  his  escort  on  his  proposed  visit  to  Nashville. 

But  Griffith,  who  ought  to  know  more  than  the  reverend  his- 
torian about  this  affair,  says  he  was  captured  while  north  of  the 
town,  repairing  the  line,  and  was  sent  to  Corinth  ;  escaped,  and 
was  recaptured,  and  finally  sent  to  Macon,  and  then  to  Libby 
Prison,  from  which  he  was  taken  and  exchanged,  November  15 


CIVIL   WAR   IN    THE    UNITED    STATES.  207 

1862,  after  very  great  suffering.  He  had  scarcely  got  back  at 
work  again,  after  recruiting  some  strength,  when  Morgan  entered 
Elizabethtown,  Ky.,  where  he  was  located.  Griffith  narrowly 
escaped,  by  speedy  flight. 

March  11,  President  Lincoln  extended  Halleck's  department, 
so  as  to  include  all  of  BuelPs  west  of  a  north  and  south  line 
drawn  indefinitely  through  Knoxville,  and  called  Halleck's,  the 
Department  of  the  Mississippi.  At  this  time,  Buell's  forces,  ex- 
clusive of  those  sent  Grant,  numbered  91,783  men,  73,472  of 
whom  were  serviceable.  These  troops  were  divided ;  the  prin- 
cipal part,  under  Buell,  numbering  of  all  arms,  37,000  men, 
started,  March  15,  to  reinforce  Halleck's  army  under  Grant,  at 
Pittsburg  Landing.  Another  force,  under  G.  W.  Morgan,  was 
sent  to  join  Carter's,  north  of  Cumberland  Gap,  and  another, 
under  O.  M.  Mitchell,  to  possess  the  Memphis  and  Charleston 
Kailroad  in  the  neighborhood  of  Huntsville,  Ala.  The  remain- 
der was  located  on  the  communications. 


We  have  already  disclosed  Federal  General  Morgan's  opera- 
tions at  the  Gap.  While  Buell  is  making  his  slow  progress,  via 
Columbia  and  Waynesboro,  to  Savannah,  Tenn. ,  opposite  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  we  will  turn  our  attention  to  Mitchell.  He,  too, 
started  about  the  same  time  Buell  did,  repairing  burned  railroad 
bridges  as  he  progressed  to  Murfreesboro.  From  thence,  he 
pushed  rapidly  on  through  Shelbyville  and  Fayetteville,  striking 
Huntsville,  Ala.,  early  April  7.  It  was  a  great  surprise,  result- 
ing, besides  the  capture  of  a  few  troops  and  some  valuable 
property,  in  taking  fifteen  locomotives  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
cars.  The  following  day  an  expeditionary  force  was  placed  on 
the  cars  for  Stevenson,  on  the  east,  and  another  for  Decatur  and 
Tuscumbia,  on  the  west.  Thus  in  a  few  days,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  I'oad,  and  its 
bridges,  were  in  the  hands  of  the  Federals.  It  was  a  bold  and 
brilliant  operation.  Chattanooga  was  threatened,  and  Corinth 
cut  off  from  the  direct  line  East.  Because  it  was  bold,  it  has 
been  severely  criticised.  Because  it  was  remarkably  successful, 
Mitchell  received,  as  he  seemed  to  deserve,  a  ^najor  general's 
commission.     True   he  could   not  have  gained   these  successes 


208  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

without  the  railroad,  and  even  with  it,  he  could  not  have  retained 
his  hold  without  the  telegraph. 

J.  Newton  Crittenton  was  head-quarter's  operator,  having 
been  hurriedly  recalled  from  Waynesboro  to  take  charge  of  the 
lines  in  Northern  Alabama.  They  needed  but  little  repairing 
from  Stevenson  to  Decatur,  eighty-four  miles.  He  was  not  then 
in  telegraphic  communication  North,  and  hence  held,  under 
Mitchell,  supreme  control.  A  Mr.  Brady  was  his  foreman  of 
builders.  In  March,  the  line  followed  Mitchell  to  Shelbyville 
(sixty  miles),  on  the  N.  &  C.  R.  R. ,  and  five  miles  beyond,  toward 
Huntsville,  when  most  of  it  was  abandoned  ;  but  the  last  of 
April  or  the  first  of  May,  the  telegraph  was  repaired,  via  Colum- 
bia, to  Decatur,  a  distance  of  seventy-one  miles.  The  building 
party,  under  one  Keenan,  on  reaching  a  point  thirty  miles  south 
of  Columbia,  was  overhauled  by  that  ubiquitous  rebel,  John  H. 
Morgan,  and  all  but  Keenan  captured.  Morgan  destroyed  all 
the  camp  equipage,  wagons,  tools,  seven  hundred  insulators,  etc., 
and  by  paroling  the  builders  effectually  stopped  the  work,  until 
Bruch  could  organize  anew  and  refit.  Owing  to  this  delay,  De- 
catur and  Nashville  were  not  connected  until  May  20. 

Mitchell  was  enabled  to  capture  at  least  two  large  trains  com- 
plete, by  telegraphing  ''It  is  perfectly  so,"  in  response  to  a 
message  from  an  officer  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  road, 
inquiring  of  Larcombe,  its  superintendent  at  Huntsville,  if  it 
was  safe  to  send  along  trains.  During  the  four  months  and  ten 
days  that  Mitchell  or  his  successor  held  this  section,  telegraphic 
communication  with  the  posts  was  constant,  and  the  commander 
was  accustomed  frequently  to  talk  with  subordinates  by  tele- 
graph. Offices  were  early  opened  at  Huntsville,  Paint  Rock, 
Athens,  Bridgeport,  Stevenson,  Elk  River,  Larkinsville,  and 
Bellefonte,  and  later,  at  Decatur  Junction,  Battle  Creek,  Moores- 
ville,  Tullahoma,  Pulaski,  Reynolds,  Shelbyville,  Wartrace,  De- 
catur, Madison,  Tuscumbia,  forty-three  miles  west  of  Decatur, 
and  Courtland.  These  were  operated  by  Samuel  Carey,  W.  H. 
Kelsey,  George  E.  Cromwell,  J.  S.  Lyle,  T.  M.  Sampson,  Rob- 
ert Wagner,  J.  W.  Richardson,  G.  W.  Bliestine,  W.  H.  Hart- 
man,  J.  H.  Sigler,  A.  Ellison,  J.  A.  Fuller,  H.  Lithgow,  F.  B. 
Tyler,  C.  W.  ^esanson,  J.  P.  Mcllvaine,  D.  McCarty,  A.  J. 
Howell,  B.  McMurtrie,  C.  W.  Hammond,  W.  H.  Parsons,  S.  T. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE    UNITED    STATES.  209 

Yonkers,    W.    B.    Reddington,    George    Purdon,    Christophei 
Dougherty,  Dan  Murray  and  W.  W.  Forbes. 

About  the  middle  of  April,  a  party  of  twenty-two  soldiers 
and  two  spies,  all  dressed  as  citizens,  with  the  approval  of  Generals 
Buell  and  Mitchell,  entered  Chattanooga  in  squads,  and  took 
train  for  Marietta,  Ga.  Their  purpose  was  to  steal  an  engine 
at  Big  Shanty,  near  Marietta,  and,  running  north  on  passenger 
train  time,  burn  the  principal  bridges  en  route  to,  and  even  be- 
yond, Chattanooga.  What  could  be  more  venturesome  ?  Tak- 
ing the  north  bound  passenger  train,  they  were  able  to  possess 
themselves  of  the  engine  and  one  car  at  Big  Shanty,  and  start 
on  their  perilous  undertaking.  There  was  no  telegraph  office  at 
Big  Shanty,  although  several  regiments  were  stationed  there, 
"  but,"  says  Pettinger,  one  of  the  twenty-one  that  succeeded  in 
taking  the  train,  and  who  has  written  the  history  of  the  affair, 
"  the  telegraph  ran  by  our  side,  and  was  able  by  the  flashing  of 
a  single  lightning  message  to  arrest  our  progress,  and  dissipate 
all  our  fondest  hopes."  After  running  four  miles,  the  wires 
were  cut.  Further  on,  the  party  was,  according  to  the  time  card, 
to  meet  and  pass  a  freight  train.  This  they  did,  but  two  extras 
were  signaled.  These  greatly  delayed  the  Unionists,  and  enabled 
a  party  from  Big  Shanty,  under  the  leadership  of  the  conductor, 
on  a  hand-car  first,  and  then  on  a  freight  engine,  to  nearly  over- 
take the  Federals.  Conductor  Fuller's  party,  taking  the  engine 
of  the  last  freight,  continued  the  pursuit  most  vigorously.  It 
was  a  desperate  railroad  race,  in  which  the  brasses  in  the  jour- 
nal boxes  of  the  forward  engine  melted.  Andrews'  party,  for 
he  was  in  command  of  the  raiders,  sought  to  impede  pursuit 
by  throwing  off  the  railroad  ties  they  had  collected,  and  occa- 
sionally tearing  up  a  rail,  but  the  pursuers  overcame  every 
obstruction  about  as  fast  as  they  were  interposed.  At  every  tel- 
egraph station,  however,  the  conductor  was  informed  that  An- 
drews' party  had  cut  the  line  ahead.  Thus  the  race  continued, 
passed  AUatoona,  Cartersville,  Kingston,  Adairsville,  Calhoun 
and  Resaca  ;  passed  Dalton  and  to  within  fifteen  miles  of  Chat- 
tanooga— altogether  ninety -three  miles.  The  rain  and  wind  pre- 
vented firing  their  car,  which  they  attempted,  and  the  inexorable 
pursuit  continued  as  determined  as  ever.  Operator  R.  O.  Camp, 
or  Ed.  Henderson,  joined  Fuller's  party  to  telegraph  ahead  when- 
14 


210  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

ever  possible.  Two  minutes  before  Andrews,  after  passing 
Dalton,  had  time  to  break  the  wires,  Chattanooga  office  was  in- 
formed, whereupon  cannon  were  there  planted  on  the  track, 
and  trees  felled  across  it.  The  excitement  became  intense,  and 
the  women  and  children  took  to  the  woods.  Near  Chickamauga 
station,  the  party  leaped  from  their  car  and  scattered  in  the  woods, 
but  pursuit  and  search  was  relentless.  The  people  all  turned  out 
to  hunt.  Every  one  of  the  party  was  captured.  Seven  were 
condemned  at  Knoxville,  as  spies,  and  hung  at  Atlanta.  Four- 
teen escaped  from  prison,  six  recaptured  and  exchanged  as  pris- 
oners of  war;  six  reached  the  Union  lines,  and  two  were  never 
heard  of  again. 

We  have  said  that  Buell's  progress  was  slow.  Bruch's  build- 
ers and  some  soldiers,  under  operator  J.  N.  Crittenton,  repaired 
the  old  line  over  the  pike  to  Franklin,  and  then  cut  across  the 
country  to  within  six  miles  of  Waynesboro,  erecting  sixty-eight 
miles  of  new  line.  Crittenton  frequently  connected  his  instru- 
ment to  receive  or  send  Buell's  messages.  At  this  point,  George 
H.  Smith's  party  of  builders  were  met,  they  having  put  up  thir- 
ty-seven miles  of  telegraph  east  from  Savannah.  So  imperfectly 
was  this  line  constructed,  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  utilize 
it.  The  wire  was  carried  through  dense  woods,  and  fastened  to 
living  trees,  sometimes  with  insulators,  but  often  without,  con- 
sequently the  aggregate  resistance  between  Franklin  and  Savan- 
nah, especially  on  rainy  days,  amounted  almost  to  a  perfect 
ground  connection,  and  not  unfrequently  rendered  the  line 
entirely  unserviceable,  a  difficulty  which  no  amount  of  subse- 
quent repairing  could  appreciably  aflfect.  At  this  time.  Con. 
Dwyer,  an  able  electrician  from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  manager  of 
the  Nashville  office,  was  assisted  by  operators  Sargent  P.  Peabody, 
Ellis  J.  Willson  and  Claud  Knox,  all  of  them  first  class  operators. 
They  had  no  hours,  but  one  would  attend  the  Louisville  circuit, 
another  the  Savannah  wire,  until  exhausted,  when  he  would  be 
relieved  by  the  third,  who  had  been  sleeping.  As  this  system 
continued  until  August,  when  the  author  reinforced  the  trio, 
the  boys  deserved  greater  credit  than  they  received  for  their 
perseverance.  Afterwards,  two  operators  were  on,  and  two  off 
duty,  every  twenty-four  hours.     As  the  Savannah  line  could  not 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  211 

be  worked  by  either  office  against  a  battery  at  the  other,  owing 
to  the  escape,  a  switch  was  arranged  at  the  key  so  that  the  full 
force  of  the  battery  went  to  line  while  sending,  but  was  off  while 
receiving.  By  this  means  and  the  exercise  of  more  patience 
than  Job  was  ever  credited  with,  the  vast  business  of  the  armies 
at  the  front,  aggregating,  under  Halleck,  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-thousand muskets,  was  kept  up. 

While  this  line  was  building,  and  Buell  advancing  to  meet 
Grant,  Halleck  granted  Buell's  telegraphic  request  to  halt  and 
rest  at  Waynesboro,  but  Nelson  in  the  advance  seemed  possessed 
of  a  premonition  of  danger.  He,  therefore,  hastened  beyond  all 
expectations,  and  when  Buell  was  ready  to  order  a  halt.  Nelson 
and  other  parts  of  the  army  were  too  far  ahead.  This  was  provi- 
dential. Grant,  Halleck  and  Buell,  all,  were  untroubled.  An 
attack  was  not  wholly  unexpected,  but  was  not  looked  for  so 
soon.  April  3,  Smith's  party  of  telegraph  builders  and  an  opera- 
tor met  Nelson,  and  established  communication  with  Grant. 
Nelson  had  yet  two  days'  march  when  Grant  telegraphed  him  he 
need  not  hasten,  as  the  transports  to  convey  him  to  Pittsburg 
Landing  would  not  be  ready  before  the  eighth.  But  Albert  S. 
Johnston,  commanding  the  enemy,  had  concentrated  all  of  his 
forces,  except  VanDorn's  from  Arkansas,  and  was  at  that  mo- 
ment moving  out  of  Corinth  to  overwhelm  Grant. 

The  evidence  is  too  convincing  to  admit  a  doubt,  that  neither 
Grant  nor  Sherman  expected  a  general  attack  at  any  time  prior 
to  the  sixth,  when  it  really  began.  Certain  writers,  admitting 
this  fact,  say  there  was  no  surprise,  because  General  Grant  had 
telegraphed  Halleck  the  day  before  the  battle:  "  I  have  scarcely 
the  faintest  idea  of  an  attack  (general  one)  being  made  upon  us, 
hut  will  he  prepared  should  such  a  thing  take  place^"^^  and  because 
the  enemy  had  been  exhibiting  themselves  somewhat  saucily  for 
days  before  the  battle.  The  day  after  Shiloh  (April  8),  Sher- 
man in  his  official  report  wrote:  "On  Saturday  (fifth)  the 
enemy's  cavalry  was  again  very  bold,  coming  well  down  to  our 
front;  yet  I  did  not  believe  they  designed  anything  hut  a  strong 
demonstration^  Of  course  these  officers  were  surprised  by  the 
general  engagement,  commencing  early  on  the  sixth,  but  it  is 
urged  that,  as  Sherman  had  picket  guards  unusually  advanced, 
there  was  no  such  surprise  as  brings  disgrace  to  an  officer  who, 


212  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

in  the  face  of  an  enemy,  neglects  proper  precautions,  i.  e.^  that 
though  the  attack  was  unexpected,  it  was  not  unanticipated. 
The  discussion  of  this  question  involves  a  reproduction  of  too 
much  conflicting  evidence  for  our  space  or  purpose.  General 
Grant's  head-quarters  were  at  Savannah,  nine  miles  from  the 
main  forces  under  McClernand  and  Sherman,  at  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing and  Shiloh  Church.  There  was  no  telegraph  line  between 
these  places,  and  the  so-called  "telegrams,"  sent  by  Sherman  to 
Grant,  April  5,  according  to  Van  Home's  "History  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,"  advising  Grant  of  appearances, 
were  in  fact  notes,  delivered  by  special  messenger. 

At  break  of  day  on  the  sixth,  the  noise  of  "resounding 
arms  "  summoned  Grant  in  haste  to  Pittsburg  Landing,  notwith- 
standing an  appointment  to  meet  Buell  that  day  at  Savannah. 
The  steamer  "Tigress"  from  the  North  reached  Savannah  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Among  her  passengers  were 
Wayne  H.  Parsons,  from  the  Tipton,  Missouri,  and  Leander  H. 
Parker,  from  the  Paducah,  Kentucky,  offices.  These  operators, 
on  hearing  the  "  cannon's  opening  roar,"  hastened  to  report  to 
General  Grant,  and  by  his  directions  accompanied  him  to  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  remaining  on  the  boat  to  receive  any  message  that 
might  be  entrusted  to  them  for  delivery.  From  early  morn  till 
late  in  the  eve,  forty  thousand  Confederates  were  hurled  against 
thirty -three  thousand  Federals,  largely  raw  troops,  some  of 
whom  had  been  in  the  service  but  eleven  days.  Except  that 
the  Federals  had  the  choice  of  position,  it  was  an  open  field 
fight,  there  being  few  if  any  artificial  defenses.  Nelson's  divis- 
ion on  the  eastern,  and  Lew  Wallace's  on  the  western  shores  of 
the  river,  were  misled  as  to  roads,  and  Wallace,  though  in  the 
morning  but  five  miles  from  the  battle-field,  did  not  reach  it  until 
seven  p.  m.,  and  a  portion  of  Nelson's  column  only  came  into 
position  at  five  o'clock,  when  both  sides  were  exhausted,  but  his 
coming  was  fortunate  indeed. 

The  Federal  gunboats,  which,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  day, 
while  the  Federals  were  hugging  the  river  bank,  or  being 
hemmed  in  a  greatly  contracted  circle,  poured  grape  and  canister 
into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  with  terrible  effect,  kept  up  their 
fire  with  shells  throughout  the  night,  penetrating  various  rebel 
camps  and  firing  the  woods;  thus  maldng  sleep,  for  the  enemy, 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  213 

almost  impossible.  Monday  morning  the  Confederates,  reduced 
by  various  causes  —  deaths,  wounds,  details  and  desertions  —  to 
twenty  thousand,  answered  to  the  reveille  which  seemed  like  a 
death  knell  to  them.  Besides  the  fight  of  the  sixth,  in  which 
they  lost  their  great  commander,  Johnston,  and  the  shelling  and 
fires  in  the  night,  the  rain  set  in;  it  was  after  that  horrible  day 
and  dreadful  night  that,  thoroughly  drenched,  they  were  early 
called  to  a  renewal  of  the  carnage,  only  to  discover  in  their  great 
weakness,  that  Grant  was  reinforced  by  twenty  thousand  fresh 
and  gallant  troops  of  Buell's  army.  The  wonder  is,  not  that  the 
Confederates  retreated  at  two  p.m.,  after  an  obstinate  resistance, 
but  that  they  covered  their  retreat  so  well  and  retained  Corinth 
so  long. 

Nothing  is  so  descriptive  of  a  battle  as  the  casualties.  Grant 
and  Buell's  loss  was  12,217  men,  of  whom  1,700  were  killed  and 
7,495  wounded,  the  rest  missing.  Buell's  army  alone  lost  2,167, 
mostly  killed  or  wounded.  Beauregard,  who  succeeded  John- 
ston, admitted  a  loss  of  1,728  killed,  8,012  wounded  and  957 
missing;  being  an  aggregate  of  10,697. 

The  telegraph  from  Nashville  to  Savannah  was  completed  in 
good  time  to  announce  a  Federal  triumph.  The  Savannah  office 
was  opened  at  the  front  window  of  a  deep  store,  which  was  filled 
with  wounded  from  the  field  of  battle.  Three  rows  of  camp 
cots  were  placed  the  length  of  the  room,  and  on  every  one 
rested  a  wounded  soldier,  some  of  whom  were  nigh  unto  death. 
Every  available  room  in  the  village  was  similarly  occupied. 
Messages  concerning  the  wounded,  the  dead  and  the  living,  the 
defeat  and  the  victory,  came  pouring  into  the  Savannah  office 
by  the  hundreds,  for  transmission  north.  All  over  the  North 
went  those  tidings  of  sadness  or  joy  from  the  little  pocket  instru- 
ment, manipulated  mainly  by  Parsons  and  Parker,  but  sometimes 
by  George  A.  Purdy.  During  the  first  night,  a  number  of 
those  whose  groans  swelled  the  agonizing  chorus  which  made 
the  tick,  tick,  tick,  of  the  instrument  scarce  audible,  after  dic- 
tating a  telegram  to  their  friends,  bidding  a  long  farewell,  slept 
"  the  sleep  that  knows  no  waking."  Throughout  all  the  North- 
ern States  and  at  the  nation's  capital,  operators,  officers  and 
newsmen,  all  night  long  on  that  memorable  seventh,  awaited 
with    bated  breath   and  hearts  well  nigh   choking   them,   the 


214 


THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 


tidings  which  the  weary  operators  at  Savannah  and  Nashville 
hurried  to  their  respective  destinations. 

General  Halleck  arrived  at  Pittsburg  Landing  on  the  11th 
of  April,  and  with  him  came  Duncan  T.  Bacon,  L.  C.  Weir  and 
a  well  organized  corps  of  telegraph  men.  Weir,  as  chief  oper- 
ator in  the  St.  Louis  office,  perspired  over  the  ciphers  of  the 
Department  General  until  Halleck  came,  when  he  was  employed 
at  that  officer's  head-quarters,  exclusively  with  cipher  duties. 
He  continued  so  to  serve  Halleck,  sometimes,  however,  assisting 


PARKER'S  OFFICE, 


Generals  Cullum  and  Judah  in  the  preparation  of  army  papers, 
until  the  General  was  called  to  Washington  by  a  cipher  message 
from  the  President  and  made  General  in  Chief  of  all  the  armies. 
This  was  after  the  occupation  of  Corinth  by  the  Federals,  and 
on  this  occasion  Weir,  who  accompanied  Halleck  as  far  as  Cin- 
cinnati, was  offered  a  staff  appointment  with  him,  and  a  commis- 
sion as  lieutenant  in  the  regular  army  or  major  in  the  volunteer 
service,  but  he  preferred  his  former  employments. 

Shortly  after  Bacon's  arrival  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  he 
aided  Sol  Palmer,  foreman  of  builders,  in  laymg  a  telegraph 
cable  across  the  river  at  that  place.  The  line  having  been 
built  from  Savannah,   communication  was   thus   completed   to 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE    UNITED   STATES.  215 

Nashville.  The  first  office  at  the  Landing  was  unique.  It  illus- 
trates the  marvelous  adaptability  of  the  Corps  to  the  emergencies 
of  army  life.  The  cable  was  too  short  to  cross  the  river,  but 
long  enough  to  reach  a  lodged  tree  projecting  from  the  west 
bank  some  distance  over  the  water,  and,  consequently,  it  was 
determined  to  establish  the  office  thereon.  Here,  L.  D.  Parker 
opened  communication  with  the  North.  His  instrument  rested 
on  the  trunk;  a  limb  held  his  letter  clip  and  paper.  Parker  long 
sat  astride  his  office,  sending  and  receiving  important  dispatches, 
while  being  harassed  by  mosquitoes.  After  all,  glory  does  not 
thrive  in  parlors,  nor  on  cushioned  seats.  It  was  while  vexa- 
tiously  adjusting  his  instrument  for  Nashville's  long  messages 
and  meaningless  ciphers,  that  the  mosquitoes  began  cupping  him. 
While  enduring  their  torments  his  game  leg,  for  the  first  time 
in  his  life,  served  him  best,  for  his  other  was  a  foot  {pes)  too 
long  or  the  water  so  much  too  high,  and  consequently  immersed 
that  extremity,  but  what  booted  it  so  that  he  advanced  the  good 
cause.  A  number  of  couriers  stood  about,  throwing  stones  at 
the  numerous  frogs,  whose  guttural  notes  were  cut  short  by  the 
surprising  delivery  of  the  blue-coats.  Some  aimed  vexatiously 
at  the  complacent  turtle  seeking  a  sun  bath,  and  thereby  caused 
him  either  to  draw  in  behind  his  works,  or  seek  safety  in  the 
bosom  of  the  deep.  All  these  things  happened  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  freshly  hallowed  ground,  and  yet  Parker  was  not  bre- 
vetted  on  the  spot,  nor  were  there  any  tender  hands  to  stay  the 
ravages  of  the  stinging  gnats. 


216  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  TELEGRAPH  WITH  GENERAL  POPE  IN  VIRGINIA.— 
CEDAR  MOUNTAIN.—  GROVETON.—  CH ANTILLY.—  HARPERS 
FERRY.—  SOUTH  MOUNTAIN.—  ANTIETAM. 

As  heretofore  noted,  McClellan's  army  lay  at  Harrison's 
Landing  on  the  James  River  until  about  August  14,  1862. 
McDowell  had,  as  he  predicted,  failed  to  cut  off  Jackson  in  the 
Shenandoah,  and  Fremont's  co-operation  proved,  indeed,  inef- 
fectual, but  by  Jackson's  speedy  flight  to  succor  Lee  and  avoid 
the  forces  of  McDowell,  Banks  and  Fremont,  possession  of  the 
great  valley  was  again  optional  to  the  Federals,  and  consequently 
the  Winchester  telegraph  was  speedily  re-opened.  W.  J. 
Dealey  and  G.  J.  Lawrence  operated  at  Harpers  Ferry,  and 
J.  D.  Tyler  and  Charles  H.  Lounsberry,  at  Winchester.  Major 
General  John  Pope,  of  great  reputation  in  the  West,  was  sum- 
moned to  Washington  on  the  day  of  "  Mechanicsville, "  and  as- 
sumed command  of  the  'Army  of  Virginia  "the  day  after  "Gaines' 
Mills. "  Pope's  new  department  included  McDowell's,  Banks'  and 
Fremont's  commands,  and  his  paramount  idea  was  to  concentrate 
such  of  these  forces  as  might  safely  be  brought  to  the  Rapidan, 
with  a  view  of  active  co-operation  with  McClellan  in  the  latter's 
designs  against  Richmond  ;  thus  at  once  assuming  the  offensive, 
besides  forwarding  McClellan's  like  purpose,  and  in  that  activity 
also  effectually  defending  the  national  capital  and  preventing 
raids  down  the  valley.  Sigel,  who  succeeded  Fremont,  as  the 
latter  was  indisposed  to  serve  under  a  junior  officer,  located  his 
forces  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sperry ville  ;  General  Banks'  were 
mainly  posted  a  little  east ;  there  W.  C.  Hall  and  J.  B.  Pierce 
attended  to  his  telegrams  and  ciphers.  Pope  established  his 
quarters  at  Culpeper  Court  House  and  was  surrounded  by  Mc- 
Dowell's forces.  This  trinal  army  was  strengthened  by  the  op- 
portune arrival  of  Reynolds'  division  from  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac, and  Reno's  eight  thousand  men  from  Burnsides'  corps  at 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  217 

Fredericksburg.  Altogether,  Pope  had  an  effective  force  at 
hand  of  about  fifty  thousand  men. 

Telegraph  lines  ran  along  the  Orange  &  Alexandria  Kailroad 
from  Culpeper  Court  House  to  Alexandria,  and  were  operated 
as  follows :  Pope's  head-quarters  office,  by  R.  R.  McCaine, 
J.  L.  Cherry  and  Thomas  Armor ;  Rappahannock  Station,  by 
J.  W.  Sampson  ;  Warrenton  Junction,  by  T.  N.  Loucks  and  E. 
Rosewater ;  Catlett's  Station,  by  Charles  Douglass  ;  Manassas 
Junction,  by  Fred  Fox  and  W.  H.  Sheffier ;  Fairfax  Station,  by 
Richard  Graham  and  T.  Q.  Waterhouse  ;  Burkes  Station,  by 
J.  A.  Flagg  and  D.  B.  Tomlinson  ;  Alexandria,  by  F.  T.  Bick- 
ford,  O.  H.  Dorrence,  W.  H.  Embree,  C.  H.  Johns,  J.  W.  Mc- 
Mullen,  A.  W.  Orton,  H.  L.  Smith  and  C.  L.  Snyder.  Another 
wire  connected  Manassas  Junction  with  Warrenton,  where,  J.  H. 
Nichols  was  located.  The  line  following  the  Manassas  Gap 
Railroad  to  Strasburg  had  been  abandoned  since  Banks'  defeat 
in  the  valley.  Sperryville  and  Sulphur  Springs  were  brought 
into  the  telegraphic  circuit.  C.  H.  Benedict  was  located  at 
Sulphur  Springs  and  Ed  Conway  with  Sigel  at  Sperryville.  A 
third  wire  connected  Fredericksburg  with  Alexandria.  P.  C. 
Doyle  and  Fowler  Bradnack  worked  General  Burnside's  office 
at  Fredericksburg  ;  C.  H.  Lithgow  was  at  Falmouth ;  J.  H. 
Emerick,  J.  H.  Glazier,  J,  J.  and  O.  H.  Kinneman,  at  Acquia 
Creek,  from  whence  this  line  ran  to  Alexandria.  Thus  it  will  be 
noticed  Pope  had  his  forces  well  in  hand  and  easily  directed  or 
watched  by  telegraph.  The  Fredericksburg  Railroad,  superin- 
tended by  W.  W.  Wright,  and  the  more  northern  ones  by  J.  H. 
Devereaux,  supplied  the  troops.  The  trains  on  these  roads, 
which  were  under  the  general  superintendency  of  H.  Haupt, 
were  run  by  telegraph.  In  order  to  insure  the  safety  of  the  tel- 
egraph, Pope  issued  an  order  that  the  inhabitants  along  the  wire 
routes  should  be  held  responsible  for  damages  done  the  lines  by 
others  than  the  Confederate  army.  Such  was  the  general  situa- 
tion of  affairs. 

Early  in  August,  Jackson,  the  ubiquitous,  crossed  the  Rapi- 
dan  in  search  of  Pope,  when  began  that  famous  campaign,  short, 
sharp  and  indecisive,  which  resulted  at  least  in  humiliation  to 
the  Federals.  But,  as  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  figured  largely 
in  Pope's  operations,  we  will  first  discover  how  that  came  to  be  so. 


218  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

We  have  shown  that  at  the  conclusion  of  the  seven  days'  fight- 
ing, McClellan  encamped  about  Harrison's  Landing,  seventy 
miles  above  Jamestown  Island.  It  was  not  deemed  practicable 
to  maintain  a  telegraph  line  from  Yorktown  to  the  army,  and 
therefore  one  was  built  from  Yorktown  to  Jamestown  Island, 
eight  miles,  and  from  thence  telegrams  were  sent  up  the  river 
in  despatch  boats,  a  loss  of  about  ten  hours  each  way.  Even 
this  means  was  subject  to  embarrassments  from  the  enemy,  es- 
pecially on  the  south  bank.  At  one  time  forty-three  guns 
opened  on  the  Federal  shipping  from  Coggin's  Point.  August 
3,  McClellan  was  telegraphed  to  ' '  take  immediate  means  to  ef- 
fect "  a  removal  of  his  army  to  Acquia  Creek.  Pending  the  tele- 
graphic protest  and  discussion  which  followed  this  order,  Mc- 
Clellan  went  to  Jamestown  Island  to  talk  by  telegraph  with 
General  Halleck,  who  had,  on  the  11th  of  July  preceding,  been 
appointed  commander-in-chief  of  all  the  armies  with  head-quar- 
ters in  Washington.  On  reaching  the  island,  it  was  discovered 
that  the  cable  across  the  Chesapeake  was  broken,  and  accord- 
ingly McClellan,  bent  on  his  purpose,  steamed  down  the  James 
and  across  to  Cherrystone,  where  C.  H.  Baker  and  W.  A.  Dunn 
were  operators.     Entering  the  office,  he  wrote  : 

Cherrystone,  August  13,  1862,  11:  30  p.  m 

Maj.  Gen.  H.  W.  Halleck,  Washington: 

Please  come  to  the  office;  wish  to  talk  to  you.  What  news 
from  Pope?  G.B.  McClellan. 

Major  General. 

An  hour  later,  McClellan  telegraphed,  "*  *  Please  read 
my  long  telegram,  *  *  *  "  and  Halleck  replied  at  1:40  a.  m., 
''  I  have  read  your  despatch  ;  there  is  no  change  of  plans.  You 
will  send  up  your  troops  as  rapidly  as  possible.  There  is  no 
difficulty  in  landing  them.  According  to  your  own  accounts, 
there  is  now  no  difficulty  in  withdrawing  your  forces.  Do  so 
with  all  possible  rapidity,"  and  thereupon  General  Halleck  took 
his  hat  and  started  to  leave,  but  a  prominent  official  present, 
knowing  that  McClellan  had  not  had  anything  like  a  "  talk,"  or 
complete  understanding,  asked  the  General-in-Chief  if  he  had  not 
any  thing  else  to  say  to  McClellan,  but  Halleck,  replying  ''No," 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  219 

left  the  War  Department  office.  The  fact  of  Halleck's  sudden 
withdrawal  was  announced  to  the  operator  at  Cherrystone,  when 
McClellan  sent  the  following  moderate  reply  : 

Cherrystone  Inlet,  August  14, 1862, 1: 40  A.M 

Major  General  H.  W.  Halleck  : 

Your  orders  will  be  obeyed.  I  return  at  once.  I  had  hoped  to 
have  had  a  longer  and  fuller  conversation  with  you,  after  traveling 
so  far  for  the  purpose.  (Signed)  G.  B.  McClellan, 

Major  General. 

August  26,  McClellan  reached  Alexandria — a  part  of  his 
army  having  preceded  him  to  Acquia,  and  the  rest  to  Alexandria. 

Over  a  week  before  the  Federals  landed  along  the  Potomac, 
Lee's  army  was  on  the  banks  of  the  Rapid  an,  and  Pope  was 
skirmishing  for  time.  Cavalry  dashes  upon  the  enemy's  railroads 
and  telegraphs  preceded  Pope's  spirited  campaign  of  three  weeks, 
which  may  be  said  to  have  begun  on  the  9th  of  August,  when, 
troops  having  been  advanced  under  Banks  and  Sigel,  and  one 
division  of  McDowell's  corps,  to  meet  Jackson,  who  had  crossed 
the  Rapidan,  the  sanguinary  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain  was 
fought.  In  this  battle,  the  troops  under  Banks,  to  the  number 
of  ten  thousand,  were  hurled  against  twenty  thousand,  until  late 
in  the  evening,  when  Pope  and  reinforcements  arrived.  Pope 
was  then  thirty-two  thousand  strong,  Reno  and  Reynolds  not 
having  yet  arrived.  Jackson  recrossed  the  river  two  days  later, 
and  was  soon  joined  by  Lee.  The  losses  in  the  battle  of  the 
ninth  are  placed  at  two  thousand  killed  and  wounded  Federal, 
and  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  fourteen  Confederate 
troops.  Pope's  head-quarters  were  advanced  to  Mitchell's  Sta- 
tion, and  so  was  the  telegraph.  Pope  retired  across  the  Rappa- 
hannock, on  the  approach  of  Lee,  and,  except  a  dash  by  Stuart, 
succeeded  in  keeping  Lee  at  bay  at  the  fords  of  that  river  from 
the  seventeenth  to  the  twenty-fifth.  Jackson  and  Ewell,  however, 
about  the  twenty-fifth,  crossed  well  up  the  river,  and,  moving 
through  Thoroughfare  Gap,  surprised  Pope  by  striking  his  com- 
munications at  Bristow  Station  and  Manassas  Junction.  This  sur- 
prise would  not  have  occurred  there  had  the  Gap  line  been  in  opera- 
tion.    Comte  de  Paris,  in  his  history,  says  :  "  Jackson,  in  haste 


220  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

above  all  to  destroy  the  Orange  Railroad,  had  marched  directly 
upon  that  point  of  line  nearest  to  Gainesville.  At  eight  o'clock  in 
the  evening  (August  26),  the  telegraph,  connecting  Washington 
with  General  Pope's  head-quarters,  became  suddenly  silent.  It  was 
thus  that  he  learned  of  the  presence  of  the  enemy  in  his  rear. 
Stuart  had  just  reached  Bristow  Station,  where  he  cut  the  wires 
and  seized  two  empty  trains,  which  he  threw  off  the  track." 

The  severance  of  the  wires  occasioned  much  solicitude  in 
Washington,  where  it  was  even  feared  that  Lee  had  planted  his 
army  in  the  rear  of  Pope's.  When  friends  are  known  to  be  on  the 
ocean  during  the  progress  of  a  terrific  storm,  anxiety,  that  tender 
balance  between  hope  and  fear,  strains  the  nerves  and  exhausts 
all  sources  of  hope.  As  reports  confuse  the  names  of  wrecked 
vessels  and  so  multiply  disaster,  solicitude  becomes  positively 
distressing.  So  it  was  at  the  capital  when  Pope's  protecting 
army  was  cut  off.  The  grape-vine  telegraph  was  in  full  opera- 
tion, and  it  brought  only  bad  news.  That  line  is  never  down. 
It  is  operated  by  the  devil,  and  in  war  times  does  a  great  busi- 
ness. Between  protecting  Washington,  to  which  mission  Mc- 
Clellan  was  appointed,  and  rescuing  Pope,  an  additional  duty,  it 
is  claimed  by  the  friends  of  the  latter,  that  he  was  largely  left 
"to  get  out  of  his  scrape"  as  best  he  could.  Only  one  thing 
possible  was  now  wanting  to  enable  McClellan  and  Pope  effect- 
ively to  co-operate.  That  one  lack  was  a  telegraph  from  Beale- 
ton  Station,  on  the  O.  &  A.  road,  to  Fredericksburg.  Major 
Eckert  had,  however,  already  ordered  L.  D.  McCandless  and  a 
party  of  negroes  to  build  such  a  line,  and  operators  J.  L.  Cherry, 
Theodore  Moreland  and  perhaps,  also,  John  D.  Tinney,  accom- 
panied the  builders,  to  render  such  aid  as  they  might,  but  espe- 
cially to  operate  the  line  as  far  as  built,  so  that  Pope's  messages 
might  be  sent  by  the  Fredericksburg  route.  This  line  was 
delayed,  owing  to  the  difficulties  of  procuring  poles,  but  was 
completed  to  Morrisville,  twelve  miles  from  Fredericksburg,  on 
on  the  twenty-seventh.  When  Pope  got  too  far  east  to  use  this 
wire,  Cherry  rode  to  Warrenton  Junction  to  ascertain  the  state 
of  affairs.  On  the  thirtieth,  this  line  was  abandoned,  but  it  was 
over  it  that  Porter's  discouraging  reports  or  letters  were  sent  to 
Bumside  at  the  Lacey  House,  Fredericksburg,  and,  in  part,  at 


CIVIL   WAR   IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  221 

least,   by  the  latter  forwarded  to  that  cave  of  gloom,  Wash- 
ington. 

It  was  while  at  Morrisville  that  some  escaping  soldiers 
reported,  as  runaway  soldiers  always  do,  that  the  army  had  been 
destroyed.  This  stampeded  the  builders  and  guards.  It  is  said 
that  McCandless'  negroes  loaded  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition, 
found  near  Morrisville,  and  took  it  safely  to  Fredericksburg, 
where  it  was  used  in  destroying  Government  ovens.  It  was  not 
long  that  Burnside  was  permitted  to  remain  at  Fredericksburg. 
C.  H.  Lithgow,  operator,  chanced  to  be  one  of  the  latest  to 
leave  the  city,  and,  rushing  upon  the  bridge  to  cross,  his  feet 
stuck  to  the  tar  that  had  been  liberally  placed  over  the  flooring  of 
the  bridge,  when  his  momentum  sent  him  sprawling  in  the  pitch 
and  dust,  to  the  hearty  enjoyment  of  the  soldiers  who  saw  it ; 
to  the  ruination  of  his  good  clothes,  and  impairment  of  his  tem- 
per. In  Pope's  front,  about  Rappahannock  Station,  the  enemy 
was  quite  active.  J.  H.  Nichols  came  out  from  the  War  Depart- 
ment office  to  assist  McCaine  and  others  at  head-quarters,  and 
joined  them  at  Culpeper  C.  H. ,  as  they  were  about  leaving  for 
the  Rappahannock,  where  a  stand  was  made  and  an  office  opened  \ 
but  the  enemy's  tire  from  across  the  river  shelled  out  the  opera- 
tors. Several  fragments  had  struck  their  building  before  they 
left.  The  army  moved  back,  McCaine  going  with  Pope,  and 
Nichols  and  other  operators  coming  up  with  the  rear. 

Supported  by  Reno,  Pope's  available  forces,  after  his  consid- 
erable losses  at  Cedar  Mountain  and  at  the  ford  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock, numbered  over  forty  thousand.  To  these  were  added 
ten  thousand  under  Heintzelman,  about  Warrenton  Junction,  and 
Porter's  corps,  eight  thousand  five  hundred  strong,  the  latter 
coming  up  to  Bealeton  from  Falmouth  about  the  time  McCand- 
less' builders  left  the  latter  place,  constructing  the  Bealeton  line. 
Troops  were  concentrated  at  Gainesville  and  vicinity,  and  others 
under  Hooker  beat  Ewell  back  from  Kettle  Run  when  Jackson 
retired  through  Centre ville-  Pope,  hoping  to  "bag"  Jackson's 
"  whole  crowd,"  ordered  up  all  his  forces  for  warm  work.  Rick- 
ett's  division  vainly  endeavored  to  stay  the  advance  of  Confed- 
erate Longstreet's  relieving  forces.  Pope's  troops  were  consid- 
erably scattered  from  Centreville,  via  Manassas  Junction,  to 
Gainesville.    Longstreet  was  coming  through  Thoroughfare  Gap, 


222  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

forcing  back  Ricketts.  Every  moment's  delay  enhanced  Jack- 
son's chances.  Pope,  appreciating  the  importance  of  the  hour, 
ordered  a  general  attack.  Porter  utterly  failed  to  put  his  corps 
into  the  action,  which  lasted  until  late  in  the  evening.  Long- 
street  came  up,  and  then  Pope's  opportunity  seems  to  have 
passed  forever.  That  was  the  battle  of  Groveton,  midway  be- 
tween Gainesville  and  Centreville.  It  began  at  five,  a.  m.  ,  of 
the  twenty-ninth,  and  ended  at  nine,  p.  m.  The  losses  on  either 
side  are  estimated  at  about  seven  thousand  killed,  and  wounded. 
The  next  day  came  the  climax  of  the  campaign.  It  was  the 
second  Bull  Run  fight.  Like  that  of  the  preceding  day,  there 
were  times  when  victory  and  defeat  alternated  in  the  balance, 
but  late  at  night,  neither  side  being  eminently  successful.  Pope 
retired  to  Centreville.  There  he  met  Franklin's  corps,  and  Sum- 
ner's was  an  hour  in  the  rear. 

In  the  sixteen  days'  fighting  that  Pope's  army,  or  parts  of  it, 
were  engaged  in,  such  were  his  losses  that,  with  Franklin's  and 
Sumner's  corps  of  McClellan's  army,  near  twenty  thousand, 
Pope  now  had  scarce  sixty  thousand  left.  On  the  twenty-eighth, 
Pope  reached  Manassas  Junction,  and  was  at  Centreville  the 
twenty-ninth,  when  Groveton  was  fought,  and  at  Bull  Run  on 
the  thirtieth.  On  arriving  at  Manassas  Junction,  he  sent  opera- 
tor McCaine  up  the  railroad  to  see  if  the  telegraph  was  in  work- 
ing order  to  Bull  Run  bridge.  Accompanied  by  a  small  cavalry 
escort,  McCaine  accomplished  his  mission,  but  returning,  the 
clear  waters  of  Pogues  Run,  which  for  quite  a  distance  from  the 
bridge  runs  parallel  with  the  railway,  tempted  him  to  dismiss 
his  escort  and  take  a  bath.  So  tying  his  horse  and  thought- 
lessly throwing  his  linen  duster  over  the  blue  coat  he  wore,  he 
plunged  in.  Shortly,  three  C.  S.  cavalrymen  appeared  before 
him.  These  he  had  descried  in  the  distance,  but  they  looked  so 
rough  and  dirty  that  he  thought  them  negroes.  On  espying 
McCaine,  ' '  What's  this  ? "  said  one  to  another.  ' '  What's  what  ? " 
rejoined  the  operator.  ' '  What  do  you  belong  to  ? ''  responded 
the  first  speaker.  "  To  Virginia,"  replied  McCaine.  "  To  what 
Virginia;  the  first?  "asked  the  rebel.  "Yes,"  answered  Mc- 
Caine. "Well,  we  thought  it  looked  queer,"  said  the  rebel, 
glancing  at  the  operator's  horse  and  clothing.  It  was  well  that 
the  duster  covered  the  coat  and  brass  buttons,  but  it  was  infin- 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  223 

itely  better  that  the  trooper  thought  he  had  met  McCaine  before,^ 
and,  being  satisfied,  they  rode  on.  But  no  sooner  had  they 
passed  from  view  than  McCaine,  longing  for  his  escort,  hurried 
to  overtake  it. 

At  noon  of  the  thirtieth,  McCaine,  with  three  orderlies,  left 
Pope  on  the  battle  field  of  Bull  Run,  taking  the  road  leading 
from  Sudley  Church  to  Manassas  Junction.  About  five,  p.  m., 
they  started  to  return.  Riding  about  four  miles,  they  met 
stragglers  who  reported  that  Pope  could  not  be  reached,  as  the 
enemy  had  driven  him  back  and  got  between  him  and  Manassas. 
Incredulous,  McCaine  pressed  on,  taking  the  precaution,  how- 
ever, to  keep  one  orderly  about  fifty  yards  in  advance.  A  mile 
further,  this  orderly  came  suddenly  upon  a  rebel  cavalryman 
who  had  a  Federal  prisoner.  The  orderly  drew  his  revolver  on 
the  Confederate  and  demanded  his  saber,  which  was  sullenly 
surrendered.  Some  hundred  yards  ahead  could  be  seen  a  line 
of  Stuart's  cavalry,  stretching  along  the  crest  of  a  hill.  Mc- 
Caine's  party  took  their  prisoner  to  Colonel  Batchelder,  provost- 
marshal,  by  another  route.  Again  McCaine  escaped,  doubtless 
because  the  enemy  beyond  mistook  his  colors. 

We  have  seen  that  after  Stuart  cut  the  wires  at  Bristow  Sta- 
tion he  started  for  Manassas  Junction.  Shortly  before  this, 
D.  B.  Tomlinson  was  relieved  from  duty  and  ordered  to  Burkes 
to  assist  J.  A.  Flagg,  who,  such  was  the  scarcity  of  operators, 
had  been  on  duty  twenty-two  hours  per  day  for  fifteen  days. 
Instead  of  awaiting  a  train  at  Manassas  Junction,  Tomlinson 
boarded  one  going  in  the  opposite  direction,  with  a  view  of  re- 
turning by  the  first  passing  train,  on  which  he  would  go  to 
Burkes.  The  engine  ''  Secretary  "  headed  the  first  train  for  Al- 
exandria, and  in  it  young  Tomlinson  was  sitting  on  arrival  at 
Bristow  Station,  when  a  heavy  fire  was  opened  on  the  train  and 
Tomlinson  shot  in  the  knee.  The  following  telegram  of  August 
26,  conveying  the  first  news  received  in  Washington  that  the 
enemy  was  on  Pope's  communications,  indicates  the  danger 
Tomlinson  was  in  : 

To  Gen.  Haupt: 

No.  6  train,  engine  "  Secretary,"  was  fired  into  by  a  party  of 
Secesh   cavalry,  some  say  about  five   hundred  strong.     Ties  were 


224  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

piled  on  track,  but  engineer  took  good  run  at  them  and  scattered 
them  from  track.     Engine  well  riddled  by  bullets. 

(Signed)  McCrickett. 

M.  J.  McCrickett  was  at  that  time  train  dispatcher  on  the 
O.  &  A.  R.  R.  and  his  office  was  at  Alexandria  depot.  At  an- 
other time  we  will  note  his  services  and  misfortunes. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  enemy  appeared  at  Manassas 
Junction,  which  was  well  filled  with  supplies  and  nearly  emptied 
of  troops,  only  about  three  hundred  being  there.  Of  course 
these  were  soon  overpowered.  Fred  Fox  betook  himself  to  the 
quarters  of  the  post  commissary,  Captain  Musser,  where  he  was 
captured  and  paroled.  W.  H.  Shefiler,  on  duty  at  the  time,  es- 
caped on  an  engine,  after  sending  word  to  Alexandria  as  shown 
in  the  subjoined  dispatch  : 

August  26,  1862. 
General  Halleck: 

Operator  at  Manassas  says,  "I  am  off  now,  sure."  I  directed 
the  agent  to  run  the  two  engines  at  Manassas  forward,  wait  until 
the  last  moment  and  then  escape  on  the  engine,  if  a  real  necessity 
existed.  Operator  had  just  commenced  message  to  head-quarters 
of  General  Pope  when  wire  was  cut.  It  is  clear  now  that  the  rail- 
road can  be  relied  upon  only  for  supplies.  No  more  troops  can  be 
forwarded.     *****  (Signed)         H.  Haupt. 

But  two  offices  were  now  open  out  of  Alexandria  :  Burkes 
and  Fairfax  stations  ;  Waterhouse  and  Graham,  operators  at 
Fairfax,  and  Flagg,  at  Burkes.  Among  the  officials  at  Wash- 
ington it  was  as  yet  only  believed  to  be  a  cavalry  raid,  although 
graver  fears  were  expressed.  During  the  night,  the  Fairfax  op- 
erators reported  definitely  the  capture  of  Manassas  and  that  the 
enemy  was  scouting  the  country.  General  Taylor's  four  New 
Jersey  regiments  were  sent  out  from  Alexandria  in  cars  the 
twenty-seventh,  and  defeated  at  Manassas  Junction.  Two  ope- 
rators accompanied  Taylor.  Colonel  Scammon  failed  to  hold  the 
Bull  Run  bridge,  although  he  had  two  regiments  ;  these  also  had 
previously  been  beaten  ofi*  from  Manassas.  When  reports  of 
these  things  were  telegraphed  from  Fairfax,  the  officials  also  be- 
came alarmed,  and  every  despatch  indicated  solicitude.  Rail- 
road reconnoissances,  with  and  without  troops,  were  now  made, 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  225 

always  attended  by  operators.  M.  J.  McCrickett,  W.  H.  Shef- 
fler,  H.  L.  Smith  and  others  were  engaged  in  this  perilous  tele- 
graphic service.  After  telegraphing  the  report  that  ''  Scammon 
is  retreating  and  Bull  Run  bridge  gone,"  operators  Waterhouse 
and  Graham  also  started  for  Burkes.  It  was  well,  for  Flagg 
had  been  on  continuous  duty  fifty-seven  hours.  McCrickett  re- 
ported from  Burkes,  "I  can  not  get  to  Fairfax  ;  was  fired  into 
one  and  a  half  or  two  miles  west  of  here  by  cavalry  or  a  band 
of  guerrillas. " 

The  mystery  grew  greater  and  greater  in  Washington. 
Even  Scammon's  force  was  lost  to  view.  Another  railroad  re- 
connoissance  was  ordered,  skirmishers  put  on  board  and  conduc- 
tor Strein  instructed,  "If  no  enemy  be  found  when  Bull  Run  is 
reached  and  the  bridge  is  safe,  proceed  to  Manassas  and  ascer- 
tain the  condition  of  property.  Report  every  observation  of 
importance  by  telegraph.  An  operator  will  be  sent. "  Colonel 
Scammon's  force  was  found  retreating  and  brought  in  with  news 
that  the  rebels  were  in  large  force.  Another  party  of  "two 
hundred  sharpshooters,  with  operators  and  wire  to  repair  the 
telegraph,  make  communication  and  report  observations  "  was 
sent  out.  Pohick  Bridge,  one  mile  west  of  Burkes  had  been 
destroyed,  but  was  quickly  restored,  when  the  train,  under  J.  J. 
Moore,  proceeded,  the  operator  repairing  the  line  as  it  advanced. 
It  reached  Fairfax  Station  where  wounded  soldiers  were  found 
and  placed  in  the  cars.  This  station  was  a  two-story  building. 
The  office  was  up-stairs.  Below,  the  surgeons  were  busy  ampu- 
tating limbs.  The  enemy  was  now  reported  twenty  thousand 
strong.  Anxiety  intensified  in  Washington.  The  operators  and 
the  trains  were  recalled.  Then  came  the  news  that  Pope  was 
at  Manassas.  The  next  day  operators  reported  him  at  Centre- 
ville,  and  McDowell  and  Sigel  moving  to  cut  off  the  enemy. 
Fairfax  Station  was  re-opened,  and  Pope  sent  orderlies  to  that 
office  to  deliver  messages. 

Thus,  under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  the  telegraph, 
working  in  concert  with  the  railroad,  dispels  many  a  hope  and 
excites  many  fears,  but  the  fears  are  well  grounded.  General 
Haupt,  in  testifying  before  the  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the 
War,  said  :  "  I  can  not  speak  in  too  strong  terms  of  commendation 
of  the  zeal  and  courage  of  the  railway  employes  and  of  the  tel- 
15 


226  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

egraph  operators,  who,  with  a  full  understanding  that  the  service 
was  very  hazardous,  volunteered  for  the  occasion.  Tlie  operators 
requested  that  I  would  obtain  permission  of  Colonel  Stager,  so 
tliat,  if  captured  or  shot,  they  or  their  representatives  would  not 
be  deprived  of  pay  in  consequence  of  going  without  leave.  The 
permission  asked  was  promptly  granted,  and  they  proceeded,  with 
instructions  to  conceal  themselves  in  the  bushes,  send  out  scouts, 
make  connection  with  their  wire,  and  report  all  that  they  saw 
or  heard.  Nearly  all  the  information  given  to  the  Department 
(War)  at  Washington,  for  the  remaining  days  of  the  fight,  was 
received  through  this  channel."  If  General  Haupt,  by  "this 
channel,"  meant  this  particular  line,  he  was  substantially  correct. 
But  the  Fredericksburg  wire  was  also  much  relied  on. 

Moreover,  there  were  two  operators  with  the  army  itself, 
who  were  alive  to  the  importance  of  obtaining  and  telegraphing 
information.  These  were  J.  H.  Nichols  and  Ed.  Conway. 
Nichols,  mounted  on  Joe  Pierce's  sorrel  horse,  met  Conway 
astride  of  an  old  blind  mare,  at  Warrenton  Junction.  These 
knights  of  the  key  traveled  toward  Manassas,  when,  hearing 
firing  to  their  left,  they  turned  in  the  direction  thereof,  not 
knowing  whether  they  were  going  toward  their  own  or  the  rebel 
troops,  but  as  they  came  upon  the  battle  ground  of  Bull  Run, 
they  met  Federals,  and  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  fight  for  a 
couple  of  hours,  at  the  end  of  which  time  they  returned  to  the 
railroad  at  Fairfax  Station,  where  operator  Rosewater  was  work- 
ing with  the  War  Department  office.  Conway  and  Nichols  at 
once  telegraphed  to  Secretary  Stanton  an  account  of  the  battle 
as  they  saw  it,  and  the  disposition  of  the  Union  troops.  It  was 
the  first  authentic  and  connected  report  received  in  Washing- 
ton for  a  day  or  two,  and  in  return  the  boys  were  complimented 
as  follows : 

Washington,  D.  C. 
To  Nichols  and  Conway  : 

I  have  mentioned  your  valuable  services  to  the  President,  and 
am  assured  by  him  that  they  are  fully  appreciated. 

(Signed)  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  Sec.  of  War. 

Elated  by  such  commendation,  Conway  remounted  his  blind 
nag,  and  Nichols  his  sorrel.  The  sorrel  was  a  hard  rider,  mov- 
ing something  like  machinery  when  every  other  cog  is  broken. 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  "^    227 

Nichols  was  sure  of  being  jounced,  but  whether  it  would  come 
with  a  full  breath,  and  thus  force  exhalation,  or  on  empty  lungs 
and  prevent  inhalation,  he  knew  not — only  knew  it  was  coming 
till  it  had  come,  and  then  it  was  most  time  for  another.  The 
sound  of  distant  guns  was  their  only  guide,  and  as  that  came 
from  far  separate  points,  it  was  an  uncertain  one.  Darkness 
came  before  the  operators  had  gained  their  bearings,  and  all 
night  long  they  kept  going,  avoiding  the  camp  fires,  their  main 
reliance  in  the  late  hours,  and  the  pickets,  lest  they  prove 
to  be  Confederate.  About  six,  a.  m.,  they  neared  Fair- 
fax C.  H.,  and  were  captured  by  a  German  picket  to  whom 
they  could  not  give  the  countersign,  but  a  superior  Federal  offi- 
cer, being  convinced  of  their  position,  let  them  pass  on.  It  was 
a  night  and  a  ride  long  to  be  remembered.  Conway's  blind  mare 
lost  confidence  in  her  rider,  and  felt  her  own  way,  his  spurs  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding.  There  came  a  time  when  Conway 
lost  confidence  in  the  mare,  as  we  shall  soon  observe.  It  was  a 
marvel  that  they  could  ride  all  night  without  more  serious  inci- 
dents than  running  into  trees,  brush,  fences,  etc.,  for  there  was 
an  almost  continual  firing  before,  behind  and  to  the  right  and 
left  of  them.  Even  a  band  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  somehow  got 
around  near  Centreville,  and  burned  a  wagon  train. 

The  operators  gathered  such  information  as  they  could,  and 
again  started  for  Fairfax  Station.  Just  before  nearing  the  depot, 
they  came  to  a  muddy  little  stream.  The  cog  horse,  by  way  of 
a  parting  reminder,  made  a  running  jump  and  landed  on  the 
other  side  high  and  dry,  but  Nichols,  who  had  left  his  breath  way 
behind,  had  to  stop  to  catch  it  again.  When  he  did  respire,  he 
thought  his  head  had  settled  below  his  shoulders,  and  the  rest  of 
him  in  proportion.  It  was  now  Conway's  turn.  His  poor  beast 
was  fagged,  but  somehow  she  knew  when  to  jump.  She  did 
jump,  alighting  in  the  very  middle  of  t-he  murky,  muddy  creek, 
from  which  she  was  unable  to  extricate  herself ;  nor  could  Con- 
way and  Nichols  release  her.  The  enemy  was  already  near  at 
hand.  It  was  most  six,  p.  m.,  and  so  poor  "  Sal "  was  left  where 
she  made  her  last  leap.  Conway,  whose  linen  duster  was  well 
splashed,  reached  land  muddier  and  wetter  than  before.  Barely 
had  these  operators  telegraphed  their  information,  when  the  Con- 
federates were  seen  approaching.    Then  the  depot  was  fired,  and 


228  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING    THE 

the  last  train  pulled  away.  The  operators  at  this  station  had 
been  ordered  to  remain  as  long  as  possible,  hence  it  was  not  until 
the  enemy  came  in  view  that  the  match  was  applied,  and  thus 
Conway  and  Nichols  easily  escaped.  This  train  also  took  Flagg 
from  Burkes  Station.  Rosewater,  who  also  boarded  it,  had  left 
his  baggage  to  the  watchful  care  of  the  enemy  about  Manassas. 
That  enemy,  clad  in  carpetings,  quiltings,  blanket  cloth,  any- 
thing, everything,  even  to  tarpaulin  goods,  knew  well  the  utility 
of  such  clothing  as  Rosewater  was  accustomed  to  adorn  his 
person  with. 

The  line  of  communication,  via  Fredericksburg  and  Acquia, 
we  have  said,  was  much  depended  on,  but  Acquia  was  abandoned 
soon  after  Fredericksburg.  McClellan  landed  at  Acquia  the 
twenty-fourth,  proceeding  to  Alexandria  on  the  twenty-sixth. 
From  Acquia  and  Alexandria,  McClellan  carried  on  by  telegraph 
another  historic  correspondence  with  Halleck  and  the  President. 
It  was  well  said  by  Colonel  Stager  in  an  annual  report  that 
"  even  the  history  of  this  fratricidal  strife  was  being  recorded  by 
telegraphic  dottings."  Any  one  reading  the  telegrams  to  and 
from  the  great  officers  in  Washington  and  vicinity,  during  the 
trying  period  of  Pope's  eventful  campaign,  will  discover  in  them 
not  only  sources  from  which  history  is  compiled,  but  also  in  the 
tone  or  language  of  those  epigrammatic  epistles,  a  sort  of  pho- 
tograph of  passing  events,  always  real,  sometimes  sadly  so. 
They  were  not  interviews  for  the  public,  but  cipher  interchanges 
which  sprang  from  the  sincerest  convictions  and  expressed,  oft- 
times,  without  reserve.  Once  stated,  they  were  bey^ond  recall 
or  dispute.  It  was  such  evidence  that  went  far  to  convict  Fitz 
John  Porter  of  disobedience  at  Groveton,  and  it  is  from  such 
dispatches  that  General  McClellan's  support  or  neglect  of  Pope 
is  judged.  Modern  history  can  not  be  severely  distorted.  There 
are  some  exact  sciences.  History  has  been  far  removed  from 
them,  but  so  far  as  the  telegraph  records  events,  that  far  will 
science  exactly  preserve  the  truth.  Perhaps  the  best  history  of 
the  late  war  would  be  the  telegrams,  properly  arranged,  aided 
by  parenthetical  explanations,  from  which  opinions  and  criticisms 
might  wholesomely  be  excluded. 

But  while  we  are  philosophizing,  Pope  is  engaged  at  Chan- 
tilly — the  last  of  his  memorable  battles.    It  is  September  1,  and 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE  UNITED   STATES.  229 

that  same  Jackson  takes  the  initiative.  He  moves  to  flank  the 
Federal  right.  Reno  and  Stevens,  Hooker,  McDowell  and 
Kearney,  become  engaged.  The  conflict  lasts  until  dark,  when 
Federal  General  Birney,  succeeding  Kearney,  was  left  to  bury 
those  who  died  that  day.  To  the  gloom  which  the  cold  rain 
produced,  which  the  darkness  intensified  on  that  field  of  misery, 
was  added  the  death  of  gallant  Kearney  and  talented  and  brave 
Stevens. 

It  is  said  that,  in  the  operations  from  Cedar  Mountain  to  Chan- 
tilly  inclusive,  the  Confederates  lost  fifteen  thousand  men,  killed 
and  wounded,  and  the  Federals  near  twice  that  number,  killed, 
wounded  and  captured. 

Pope,  from  Fairfax  C.  H. ,  sends  to  Fairfiix  Station  a  message 
for  Halleck  :  ' '  My  head-quarters  are  in  Alexandria, "  and  ere  night 
of  the  second,  the  Union  army  is  once  more  within  the  thirty 
forts  and  other  defenses  of  Washington.  What  humiliation  ! 
But  how  much  greater,  had  any  other  than  an  American  army 
compelled  it ! 

Now,  as  in  the  Summer  of  1861,  the  Military  Telegraph,  except 
about  Winchester  and  Harpers  Ferry,  had  no  foothold  in  Vir- 
ginia north  of  Yorktown.  Now,  as  then,  offices  were  opened 
throughout  the  District  defenses,  and  now,  as  then,  it  is  the  Fed- 
eral capital  that  is  defended. 

At  Chantilly,  Lee  writes  President  Davis  that  he  will  invade 
Maryland.  In  Washington,  Pope  resigns  his  command,  and 
goes  into  the  Indian  country.  McClellan  is  again  solicited  to 
command  what  is  once  more  known  only  as  the  Army  and  De- 
partment of  the  Potomac,  and  while  he  is  preparing  for  action, 
the  American  and  Western  Union  Telegraph  lines  spread  the 
news  and  details  of  victory  and  defeat  throughout  the  land.  It 
was  well,  because  President  Lincoln  had  recently  called  for  three 
hundred  thousand  more  troops.  Those  telegraphic  reports  filled 
the  quotas. 

Two  great  purposes  were  sought  to  be  subserved  by  Lee's 
northward  march,  which  began  September  2,  1862,  viz.,  (1)  to 
carry  the  war  into  the  Union  States,  and  (2)  thereby  obtain  a 
new  and  powerful  argument  for  foreign  mediation,  or  at  least, 
recognition.     England  and  France,  especially  the  latter,   seri- 


230  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

ously  contemplated  measures  looking  to  the  permanent  establish- 
ment of  the  Confederacy.  It  was  also  thought  by  the  Southern 
authorities,  that  many  recruits  could  be  obtained  in  Maryland, 
and  by  threatening  Union  cities,  especially  Philadelphia,  Balti- 
more and  the  capital,  and  throwing  the  ravages  of  the  war  upon 
Unionists,  the  triumph  of  the  cause  would  be  well  nigh  assured. 
When  Lee  determined  upon  this  move,  he  directed  several  divi- 
sions that  had  remained  in  Richmond,  to  join  him  in  Maryland, 
and,  passing  Leesburg,  he  crossed  the  Potomac  in  the  vicinity 
of  Point  of  Rocks.  Stuart's  cavalry  reached  Frederick,  Md.,  on 
the  sixth. 

In  a  former  chapter,  we  have  shown  the  construction,  in 
1861,  of  a  line  from  Washington,  D.  C,  to  Hagerstown,  Md., 
via  Rockville,  Darnestown,  Poolsville,  Hyattstown,  Frederick 
and  Williamsport ;  also  a  loop  from  Poolsville  to  Point  of  Rocks. 
In  the  new  turn  of  fortune's  wheel,  each  of  these  places  was  now 
destined,  in  its  order,  to  be  ''  the  front,"  the  sittcs  of  operations, 
and  the  post  of  observation.  Notwithstanding  McClellan  was 
re-invested  with  the  command  of  the  troops  on  the  second,  that 
those  troops  T^ere  in  a  ^^//zi^disorganized  condition,  owing  to 
recent  removals  from  the  James,  and  to  marches  and  conflicts 
under  Pope,  he  (McCleUan),  on  the  third,  began  crossing  troops 
into  Maryland  to  forestall  any  attempt  upon  Baltimore,  or  on  the 
capital,  from  the  north  or  east. 

It  was  unfortunate  that  the  necessities  of  the  telegraph 
service  on  the  Peninsula,  and  with  Pope,  drew  so  many  oper- 
ators from  the  Frederick  line,  as  it  occasioned  the  closing 
of  several  oflSces,  which  were  supposed  to  have  become  un- 
important. There  was  no  military  operator  at  Point  of  Rocks, 
at  the  time  of  Lee's  forward  movement  from  Chantilly,  and 
Stuart's  approach  seems  not  to  have  been  telegraphed.  Great 
uncertainty  prevailed  in  Washington  for  many  days  after 
(third)  it  was  known  that  some  of  Lee's  forces  had  crossed  the 
river.  Apprehensions  were  serious,  of  Lee's  aiming  to  draw  Mc- 
Clellan away  toward  Frederick,  while  the  main  Confederate  force 
swept  down  upon  Washington,  via  Leesburg.  Hence  it  was  long 
regarded  essential  to  divide  the  Union  army,  by  sending  McClel- 
lan, with  eighty-seven  thousand  fiYQ  hundred  men  after  what  was 
presumed  to  be  Lee's  main  force,  while  full  seventy  thousand 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  231 

were  retained  in  the  defenses  of  Washington.  This  necessitated 
a  continuance  of  a  full  siege  telegraphic  force  in  and  about  the 
capital,  but  owing  to  the  evacuation  of  the  Peninsula,  and  the 
abandonment  of  Pope's  lines,  there  were  at  this  time  plenty  of 
telegraphers  for  all  needed  points.  Of  course,  Stuart's  first  busi- 
ness was,  to  cut  the  telegraph.  Thus,  direct  communication  with 
Harpers  Ferry,  via  Point  of  Eocks,  was  severed.  At  this  time, 
Dixon  S.  Miles,  colonel  in  the  regular  army,  was  in  command 
of  Harpers  Ferry  and  its  contiguous  defenses,  and  with  him 
were,  say,  nine  thousand  troops.  William  J.  Dealey,  George  J. 
Lawrence  and  Cephus  C.  Starling  were  the  military  operators  at 
that  point,  and  Daniel  J.  Ludwig  the  railroad  operator. 

Winchester  was  now  the  farthest  point  in  Virginia  occupied 
by  the  Federals.  Operators  Charles  H.  Lounsberry  and  J.  D. 
Tyler  were  there  serving  Julius  White,  a  brigadier  general  of 
volunteers,  in  command.  General  Halleck  telegraphed  White, 
September  2,  m<^  Wheeling  and  the  Ferry,  "You  will  immedi- 
ately abandon  the  fortifications  at  Winchester,  moving  the  heavy 
guns,  under  escort,  by  rail  to  Harpers  Ferry.  If  this  can  not 
be  done,  they  should  be  rendered  unserviceable.  Having  sent 
off  your  artillery,  you  will  withdraw  your  whole  force  to  Har- 
pers Ferry."  General  White  reinforced  Miles  with  two  thou- 
sand men  and  was  at  once  ordered  to  Martinsburg,  to  the  end 
that  Miles,  a  soldier  for  forty  years,  might  not  be  superseded 
in  command.  Soon  after,  the  enemy  were  reported  from  Lees- 
burg,  Winchester  and  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  and  consequently 
White  was  ordered  to  evacuate  Martinsburg  and  go  to  Harpers 
Ferry  with  his  two  thousand,  five  hundred  more  troops.  Jack- 
son crossed  the  Potomac  on  the  eleventh,  and  on  the  same  day 
White  started,  reaching  the  Ferry  the  twelfth,  when  Miles  ex- 
hibited the  following  telegram  : 

Washington,  D.  C,  Sept.  7,  1862. 

Colonel  Miles,  Harpers  Ferry: 

Our  army  (McClellan's)  is  in  motion.  It  is  important  that 
Harpers  Ferry  be  held  to  the  latest  moment.  The  Gov^ernment 
has  the  utmost  confidence  in  you  and  is  ready  to  give  you  full 
credit  for  the  defense  it  expects  you  to  make. 

(Signed)     H.  W.  Halleck,  Gen. -in- Chief. 


232  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

White  very  properly  permitted  Miles  to  remain  in  command, 
and  a  Congressional  investigating  committee  and  some  of  the 
highest  military  authority  in  this  country  have  isince  approved 
thereof. 

On  the  seventh,  McClellan  left  for  Rockville,  where  L.  A. 
Rose  was  operating.  McClellan's  operators  at  this  time  were 
A.  H.  Caldwell,  Jesse  H.  Bunnell,  John  W.  Parsons  and  J.  L. 
Cherry,  who  were  soon  reinforced  by  J.  H.  Emerick  and  C.  H. 
Lithgow.  Caldwell,  Bunnell  and  Emerick  continued  with  Mc- 
Clellan, and  the  others  advanced  with  various  commands.  While 
McClellan  was  at  Rockville  atnd  his  cavalry  out  on  the  Pooles- 
ville  and  Hyattstown  roads,  it  was  thought  possible,  barely  pos- 
sible, to  open  telegraphic  communication  with  Point  of  Rocks 
and  thence  to  Harpers  Ferry.  L.  D.  McCandless  had  charge  of 
the  line  repairers  and  builders  on  this  route,  and  together  with 
operator  ''  Connolly"  (doubtless  a  mistake  for  Ed  Conway)  vol- 
unteered to  attempt  it.  Taking  two  cavalrymen,  they  proceeded 
as  rapidly  as  practicable  and  reached  Point  of  Rocks  in  safety, 
but  there  was  no  circuit  from  Washington.  McCandless  imme- 
diately started  back,  following  the  route  of  the  line,  meeting 
many  stragglers  from  the  rebel  army,  two  parties  of  whom  he 
directed  on  the  Poolesville  road,  where  they  were  doubtless  cap- 
tured. In  a  corn  field  on  a  bank  of  the  Monocacy,  where  the 
wire  crossed  the  creek,  after  being  cut  it  had  been  ingeniously 
fastened,  one  end  to  a  stump  and  the  other  to  a  fence  post,  giv- 
ing quite  an  appearance  of  being  intact,  but  hidden  by  the  fence, 
when  in  fact  a  piece  of  wire  had  been  carried  away.  But  for 
being  misled  by  some  skillful  rebel,  McCandless  and  Conway 
would  have  won  great  credit.  As  it  was,  the  break  in  the  line 
delayed  perfecting  the  circuit  until  all  the  glory  had  passed. 
The  adventure  was  a  daring  one  as  it  was  a  move  very  close 
upon  the  rebel  rear,  but  it  was  much  less  successful  than  it 
ought  to  have  been,  probably  owing  somewhat  to  too  rapid  rid- 
ing. 

McClellan  remained  at  Rockville,  or  near,  for  three  days, 
frequently  communicating  with  Halleck  by  cipher  telegrams, 
eighteen  of  which  are  published  in  the  report  of  the  committee 
on  the  conduct  of  the  war.  These  are  exclusive  of  replies 
thereto  and  telegrams  to  the  President,   to  Banks  the   com- 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  233 

mander  in  Washington,  to  General  Wool,  commanding  a  depart- 
ment with  head-quarters  in  Baltimore,  and  Governor  Curtin  of 
Pennsylvania.  From  here  also  McClellan's  subordinates  ar- 
ranged largely  by  telegraph  for  supplies  of  all  kinds.  Rein- 
forcements were  requested  and  forwarded,  including  Porter's 
corps,  twenty-one  thousand.  McClellan  now  had  one  hundred 
and  ten  thousand,  the  enemy  probably  less  than  sixty  thousand. 
Reports  were  here  received  from  advance  offices  as  to  operations 
in  front,  and  as  rapidly  as  received  were  forwarded  to  the  War 
Department,  and  then,  if  proper,  given  to  the  general  public, 
which  was  watching  the  operations  of  these  two  great  armies 
with  bated  breath.  There  were  thousands  of  fathers  and  moth- 
ers, of  wives  and  children,  throughout  the  North,  unable  to  at- 
tend to  their  usual  tasks,  owing  to  their  overpowering  solicitude. 
The  news  that  came  from  near  Newmarket,  to  the  east  of  the 
enemy,  from  Hagerstown,  to  the  north,  or  Harpers  Ferry,  to  the 
west,  was  tinged,  as  was  natural,  with  melancholy,  owing  to  the 
absence  of  a  competent  repelling  force.  The  day  Martinsburg 
was  evacuated.  Harpers  Ferry  became  as  silent  as  the  grave  un- 
til the  afternoon  of  the  thirteenth  ;  then  McClellan  was  at 
Frederick  and  his  army  ahead.  The  news  of  the  thirteenth  was 
merely  the  sound  of  cannon  in  the  direction  of  Harpers  Ferry. 
It  meant  that  the  order  of  march  directed  by  Lee,  a  copy  of 
which  had  fallen  into  McClellan's  hands  and  Which  pro^dded  for 
the  capture  of  that  place,  was  genuine  and  in  process  of  execu- 
tion. More  activity  now  prevailed  in  the  army.  The  next  day 
a  courier  from  Miles  reached  McClellan  with  intelligence  that 
the  enemy  held  Maryland  Heights,  but  that  Miles  still  held  Lou- 
don and  Bolivar  Heights  and  hoped  to  hold  out  two  days. 
Miles'  cavalry  (two  thousand)  had  escaped. 

Operator  Ludwig  boarded  with  a  Mrs.  Chambers,  whose  son 
Marshall  was  in  the  «rebel  army.  Marshall  obtained  a  "leave 
of  absence  "  and  entered  Harpers  Ferry  about  the  tenth  and  re-* 
mained  for  a  day  or  two,  and  was  seen  no  more  until  the  fif- 
teenth. A  rebel  operator  was  discovered  on  the  line,  but  of 
course  obtained  no  news.  He  told  Dealey  he  was  coming  soon 
to  see  him  and  the  others,  but  though  he  doubtless  came  he  did 
not  send  up  his  card.  After  a  few  days  cannonading.  Miles 
surrendered,  and  before  the  fog  had  sufficiently  raised  to  disclose 


234  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

to  those  of  the  enemy  now  occupying  Loudon  Heights,  the  white 
flags  of  the  Federals,  a  shell  burst  and  killed  him.  In  this  dis- 
graceful surrender  to  Jackson,  who  commanded  the  two  thirds 
of  the  rebel  army  sent  to  efiect  it,  operators  Dealey,  Ludwig, 
Starling,  Lounsberry  and  Tyler  were  among  the  prisoners  of 
war.  But  the  military  telegraph  instruments  and  apparatus  had 
previously  been  destroyed  by  the  telegraphers.  All  other  Gov- 
ernment property  at  the  Ferry  was  intact.  At  the  head  of  Jack- 
son's troops  to  possess  Harpers  Ferry  came  Marshall  Chambers, 
probably  a  counterpart  of  the  Confederate  States  officer  E-ous- 
ser,  whom  Miles  permitted  to  leave  Harpers  Ferry  only  a  few 
days  before,  and  who  also  headed  the  victorious  host. 

By  this  time  Franklin's  corps  of  McClellan's  army  was  within 
^ve  miles  of  the  Ferry.  The  cessation  of  artillery  firing,  by  a 
negative  pregnant  produced  to  the  relieving  forces,  conviction 
of  disaster.  In  that  ominous  silence,  a  most  appropriate  mes^ 
senger,  was  carried  the  first  tidings  of  defeat.  This  has  been 
mentioned  by  some  as  a  counterpart  to  Fort  Donelson  in  the  west, 
but  it  is  not  our  province  to  draw  comparisons. 

By  this  time  (fifteenth)  South  Mountain  had  been  fought. 
There  were  times  when  President  Lincoln  regularly  r.ttended  the 
the  War  Department  telegraph  office.  Indeed,  between  Major 
Eckert's  and  Secretary  Stanton's  offices  was  a  little  office  that 
was  generally  known  as  the  President's  room.  To  it  he  betook 
himself  regularly  at  six  o'clock  every  morning  and  there  he 
read  the  news  of  the  night  previous ;  there  also  he  often  con- 
sulted with  Stanton  and  with  Halleck  and  other  eminent  military 
men;  but  in  times  like  these  when  a  nation  was  on  tip-toe, 
Lincoln  manifested  his  own  anxiety,  by  long  protracted  and 
frequent  visits  to  that  little  room.  There  operators  Chandler, 
Tinker  and  Bates,  who  were  chiefly  occupied  translating  and 
/'putting  up"  cipher  messages,  also  had  desks.  It  was  the 
scmctum  sanctorum  of  that  great  military  and  civic  center,  and 
in  it,  all  phases  of  the  life  of  the  chief  military  and  civil  function- 
ary of  the  land  were  made  manifest.  Patiently  but  wistfully, 
he,  at  times  of  greatest  anxiety,  looks  over  the  shoulders  of  the 
cipherer  as  the  message  is  gradually  unfolding.  About  noon  of 
the  fifteenth,  one  of  those  babel  telegrams  is  received.  As  it 
unwinds,  evidences  of  a  great  battle  are  seen  in  the  two  or  three 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  235 

connecting  words  of  adjoining  columns.  A  little  later,  success 
is  also  clear,  but  in  its  full  development,  are  some  of  the  details 
of  that  triumph  which  is  found  summed  in  a  terse  sentence, 
brimful  of  glad  tidings.  ''It  has  been  a  glorious  victory." 
That  was  South  Mountain.     Now  a  word  concernins:  it. 

There  are  two  gaps  in  this  range  to  which  the  army  moved  from 
Frederick  ;  one,  near  Middletown  called  Turners  Gap  and  the 
other  close  to  Burkettsville,  known  as  Crampton's.  Lee  posted 
but  few  troops  in  these  strongholds,  not  anticipating  vigorous 
pursuit  in  force,  but  as  the  attacking  columns  multiplied,  the 
defenders  were  reinforced  until  they  numbered  nearly  all  of 
Lee's  army  not  operating  about  the  Ferry.  The  conflict  raged 
until  late  at  night.  At  9:40  p.m.,  a  Union  victory  was  certain 
at  both  Gaps,  and  then  it  was  that  McClellan  wrote  that  telegram 
which  as  we  have  seen,  announced  success.  This  message  was 
delayed  by  reason  of  the  telegraph  instrument  becoming  out  of 
order,  which  necessitated  Emerick's  riding  to  Frederick  for 
another.  By  two  o'clock  on  the  fifteenth  the  news-boys  through- 
out the  land  were  shouting  "  'ere's  yer  extra;  all  about  Lee  whipt. " 
The  sacrifice  in  scaling  the  mountains  and  driving  the  enemy 
through  the  defiles  was  four  hundred  and  forty-three  killed  and 
one  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  six  wounded,  including  brave 
Reno,  dead.  The  cost  of  the  defense  was  probably  not  so  great 
except  in  prisoners,  of  whom  about  fifteen  hundred  were  taken. 

Thus  was  Lee's  purpose  to  invade  Pennsylvania  temporarily 
thwarted,  notwithstanding  an  advance  to  Hagerstown  and  thus- 
it  was,  that  Franklin  was  enabled  to  reach  a  point  within  five 
miles  of  Harpers  Ferry  when  the  surrender  occurred.  Lee's- 
peril  was  now  exceedingly  great ;  wherefore  he  sent  for  Jackson 
to  make  haste  to  meet  him  near  Sharpsburg.  Unfortunately 
the  Federal  prisoners  allowed  themselves  to  be  paroled,  thu& 
leaving  the  entire  force  of  the  enemy  to  rejoin  Lee,  but  it  was 
fortunate  for  the  operators  who  mixed  with  the  Union  soldiers 
that  were  paroled  by  regiments,  and  therefore  the  telegraphers 
were  not  prevented  from  immediately  re-entering  the  service. 
They  all  met  in  the  ofiSce  at  Frederick,  where  Ceph  Starling 
probably  awoke  his  muse,  and  the  guitar  which  he  always  car- 
ried with  him.  At  the  Ferry  he  had  been  accustomed  to  remind 
his  friends  of  scenes  of  home,  by  his  guitar  and  verse,  which 


236  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

were  all  the  sweeter  because  surrounded  by  nothing  peaceful, 
quiet  or  homelike. 

The  great  question  now  was,  could  McClellan  strike  Lee 
before  his  army  was  re-united.  Between  the  Potomac  and  the 
Antietam,  a  quiet,  deep  creek  near  Sharpsburg,  Lee  had  prepared 
to  repel  the  Federals  until  Jackson,  McLaws,  Anderson  and  A. 
P.  Hill  could  come  up  from  the  Ferry.  That  question  was  in 
process  of  solution,  each  department  looking  to  its  own  duties. 
The  telegraph  office  which  the  operators  opened  near  South 
Mountain  after  witnessing  the  battle  and  as  soon  as  the  line  was 
brought  on  the  fourteenth,  was,  on  the  fifteenth,  advanced  to  near 
Boonesboro  where  the  operators  were  surrounded  by  wounded 
men  who  were  brought  from  the  South  Mountain  battle  field. 
The  moans  of  the  sufierers  were  telegraphed  to  Washington  and 
the  North,  and  soon  came  officers  of  the  Sanitary  and  Christian 
Commissions,  those  grand  sanitaria,  with  lint  and  bandages  and 
cordials  and  medicines  and  prepared  foods.  The  telegraph 
moved  on  to  Boonesboro,  and  there  also  soon  came  W.  J.  Dealey 
and  J.  D.  Tyler,  operators  from  the  Ferry,  escorted  by  the  Gari- 
baldi Guards,  the  latter  under  parole,  and  there  Dealey  and  Tyler 
were  located  and  the  line  was  extended  three  miles  to  Keedys- 
ville,  just  in  the  rear  of  McClellan's  camp. 

On  the  sixteenth,  the  public  was  astounded  at  the  news  of 
the  fall  of  Harpers  Ferry.  South  Mountain  was  counteracted. 
The  morale  of  the  Confederates  behind  the  Antietam  was  recruit- 
ing in  the  cheers  that  smote  the  air.  McClellan  was  thereabouts, 
locating  his  forces  and  while  so  doing  Hagerstown  was  connected 
by  telegraph.  This  gave  McClellan  a  northern  route  via 
Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania.  Supplies  were  rushed  down  the 
Chambersburg  &  Hagerstown  railroad  for  the  army.  On  the 
fifteenth,  considerable  skirmishing  for  position  occurred.  On 
the  sixteenth,  McClellan's  forces  were  not  yet  well  up.  Time 
was  precious.  Two  divisions  of  Jackson's  own  exhausted  troops 
were  in  position,  but  yet  McLaws,  Anderson  and  A.  P.  Hill 
were  behind.  Fighting  was  heavier  but  not  general,  merely, 
but  severely,  tentative.  All  felt  that  the  morrow  must  bring  on 
a  crisis.  It  was  so,  notwithstanding  McClellan's  whole  force  was 
not  up  ;  yet,  they  far  exceeded  Lee's  in  hand. 

In  that  struggle  of  the  seventeenth,  was  thought  to  be  cast 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  237 

on  the  one  side,  the  gateways  to  Pennsylvania  and  Baltimore  at 
least,  besides  Washington.  The  stake  was  even  larger,  for  it 
comprehended  the  Federal  army  of  the  East  and  food,  shelter 
and  clothing  for  the  Confederates,  who  were  in  rags  and  wretch- 
edness. It  meant  Confederate  recruits  in  large  numbers.  It 
meant  foreign  recognition.  If  it  presaged  a  divided  country,  who 
can  count  the  consequences  except  to  the  slave.  It  meant  nearly 
valueless  greenbacks,  loss  of  prestige,  chilled  hopes,  destroyed 
railways  and  bridges,  confusion,  martial  law,  and  the  thousand 
evils  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  great  vanquished  to  be  harvested 
by  the  victor.  How  countless  are  the  spoils  of  war  and  how  it 
feeds  on  injuries.  On  the  other  hand  was  thought  to  be  wagered 
the  death  knell  of  the  Confederacy  ;  a  rehabilitation  of  the  States 
and  a  return  of  peace  and  plenty  and  of  home  and  quiet  joy. 
A  saving  and  an  uplifting  of  a  nation  in  a  day. 

As  the  fog  lifted,  the  great  guns  spoke.  Then  away  over  to 
the  right,  across  the  creek.  Hooker's  infantry  moved  upon  the 
enemy.  The  work  of  battle  was  well  begun  early.  The  forces 
of  Doubleday,  Meade,  Ricketts,  Mansfield,  Hartsuff,  Williams, 
Greene,  Crawford,  Gordon,  Sumner,  and  other  corps,  division 
or  brigade  commanders,  were  soon  heavily  involved  on  the  side 
of  the  Federals,  with  Jackson's,  Lawton's,  Trimble's  Starke's, 
Jones',  Hood's,  and  others,  of  the  Confederates.  New  batteries 
and  fresh  supports  were  being  gradually,  but  surely,  drawn  into 
the  struggle.  Union  Generals  Sedgwick,  Richardson  and  French 
hurled  their  masses  against  the  foe,  and  a  Federal  triumph 
seemed  assured.  Dunker  Church  had  been  taken,  and  re-taken, 
and  the  woods  and  fields  thereabouts  were  strewn  with  dead  and 
dying.  The  flying  enemy  are  reinforced.  McLaws  and  Walker 
have  arrived  from  Harpers  Ferry,  and,  rushing  into  the  breach, 
the  Union  troops  are  forced  back  again.  Ewell  also  assists,  but 
his  force  is  more  than  counterbalanced  by  Franklin's,  of  McClel- 
lan's  command.  Still,  the  chances  are  with  the  Northern  soldiers. 
It  was  about  this  time  that  McClellan  wrote  the  followino:  tele- 
gram,  dated  1:  20  p.m.,  seventeenth,  to  General  Halleck  : 

Please  take  military  possession  of  the  Chambersburg  &  Hagers- 
town  Railroad,  that  our  ammunition  and  supplies  may  be  hurried  up 
without  delay.  We  are  in  the  midst  of  the  most  terrible  battle  of 
the  war — perhaps,  of  history.     Thus  far  it  looks  well,  but  I  have 


•238  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

^reat  odds  against  me.  Hurry  up  all  the  troops  possible.  Our  loss 
has  been  terrible,  but  we  have  gained  much  ground.  I  have  throvni 
the  mass  of  the  army  on  the  left  bank.  Burnside  is  now  attacking 
the  right.  I  hold  my  small  reserve,  consisting  of  Porter's  Fifth 
Corps,  ready  to  attack  the  center  as  soon  as  the  flank  movements 
are  developed.     I  hope  that  God  will  give  us  a  glorious  victory. 

It  was  one,  p.  m.  ,  when  Burnside  secured  a  crossing,  and  at 
three,  he  stampeded  the  small  force  in  his  front.  Now,  again, 
victory  seems  certain,  but  it  is  snatched  away  by  the  sudden 
arrival  and  appearance  of  A.  P.  Hill's  troops,  which  fall  upon 
the  left  flank  of  Burnside's  corps.  The  climax  has  come  and 
gone,  and  neither  side  is  complete  master.  Both  have  been  torn 
and  shattered.  It  is  while  the  tide  of  battle  ebbs  and  the  even- 
.  ing  mist  comes  to  spread  its  mantle  over  the  scene,  that  McClel- 
lan,  thinking  more  of  the  morrow  than  of  to-day — more  of 
eventual  success  than  present  misery,  pens  another  message,  this 
time  for  the  Chief  of  Ordnance,  in  Washington,  saying  : 

If  you  can  possibly  do  it,  force  some  twenty-pound  Parrott  am- 
munition through  to-night,  via  Hagerstown  and  Charabersburg,  to 
use  near  Sharpsburg,  Md. 

Think  of  it — time  and  space  ignored  in  this  greatest  of  human 
exigencies  !  What  will  not  the  railroad  and  telegraph  do  ? 
What  a  courier  !  what  a  carrier  !  that  ammunition,  hundreds  of 
miles  away,  may,  at  the  close  of  one  day's  fight,  be  ordered  and 
on  the  morrow  received  in  time  to  open  anew  the  battle  in  which 
a  nation  is  the  stake. 

But  it  was  not  renewed,  and  each  side  attended  to  the  dead 
and  wounded.  One  pauses  to  think  of  that  dreadful  scene,  be- 
fore writing  the  sum  total  of  misery,  just  as  one  reading  of  it 
stops  to  comprehend  its  fearful  magnitude.  Twenty  thousand 
and  twenty-six  men  had  been  shot  there  that  day ;  thirty-six 
hundred  of  them  killed,  of  whom  two  thousand  and  ten  were 
Federal  soldiers.  Of  the  wounded,  the  Union  men  lost  nine 
thousand,  four  hundred  and  sixteen,  to  the  Confederates  about 
seven  thousand.  So  much  for  a  conflict  of  ideas.  The  war  cor- 
respondents found  it  impossible  to  get  their  long  reports  oflf  by 
telegraph,  so  heavily  were  the  telegraphers  occupied  with  weight- 
ier matters,  but  telegrams,  short  and  decisive,  announced  gen- 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  239 

eral  results  and  particular  casualties.  Messages  came  pouring 
into  camp  from  all  parts  of  the  North,  without  end,  and  nearly 
all  bore  the  same  substantial  inquiry  :  "  How  is  my  son,"  "my 
brother,"  "  my  husband,"  or  "my  father  ?  "  Even  weeks  after- 
wards, these  anxious  inquiries  came  over  the  wires,  sometimes 
addressed  to  the  party  himself.  Perhaps  he  was  dead,  perhaps 
wounded,  and  removed — ^no  one  knew  to  what  hospital ;  then 
would  come  another  to  his  captain,  to  his  colonel,  and  not  infre- 
quently to  the  general  of  the '  army.  The  words,  by  this  time, 
were  most  appealing.  The  very  tears  of  a  mother  or  wife  might 
be  seen  in  the  language  of  the  inquiry.  It  was  in  this  humane 
work  that  the  operators  exhausted  their  strength,  which  was  only 
revived  in  snatches  of  fitful  sleep,  on  the  ground,  or  office  floor. 
Caldwell,  Bunnell  and  Emerick,  at  McClellan's,  were  sending 
orderlies  all  over  the  field  and  all  through  the  camps,  seeking 
answers.  How  little  of  what  these  operators  did  to  secure 
replies,  and  of  their  severe  service  at  the  key,  was  ever  known 
to  those  most  benefited,  but  the  aspersions  heaped  upon  them 
when  their  messengers  failed,  were  numerous,  and  the  telegraph- 
ers thought  unjust,  as  in  the  small  hours  of  the  night  the  head  nod- 
ded, while  the  hand  wrote  incoming,  complaining  office  messages. 
On  the  nineteenth,  at  10:  30,  A.  m.,  McClellan  sent  this  cathol- 
iconic  telegram : 

Pleasanton  is  driving  the  enemy  across  the  river.  Our  victory 
vp-as  complete.  The  enemy  is  driven  back  into  Virginia.  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania  are  now  safe. 

That  telegram  said  to  the  one  hundred  thousand  Pennsylvaniat 
militiamen,  ' '  Lay  aside  your  arms. "  It  said  to  the  merchants,  who 
closed  their  houses  of  business  at  three,  p.  m.  ,  to  drill,  ' '  Kenew  your 
vocations,  as  usual."  It  said  to  the  Maryland  refugee,  "  You  may 
go  home."  It  said  to  the  nation,  "  Saved  ;"  but  it  did  not  mean 
to  say  that  a  death-knell  to  the  Confederacy  had  been  sounded  : 
that  the  States  were  to  be  rehabilitated,  and  soldiers  returned 
home.  That  kind  of  a  "  complete  victory"  was  not  won  at  Antie- 
tam,  for,  at  best,  McClellan  had  not  captured  over  five  thousand 
unwounded  prisoners.  But  there  was  more  in  that  victory  than 
appeared  in  reports  from  the  front,  for  President  Lincoln  had, 
as  he  subsequently  said,  made  a  solemn  vow  before  God,  that,  if 


240  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

General  Lee  was  driven  back  from  Maryland,  he  would  crown 
the  result  by  the  declaration  of  freedom  to  the  slaves,  and,  ac- 
cordingly, on  the  fifth  day  after  Lee's  defeat,  the  proclamation 
was  issued.  A  new  phase  to  the  war  was  thus  presented — new 
hopes,  new  fears,  increased  animosities  ;  but  the  freedom  of  four 
millions  of  slaves  was  officially  determined  upon.  Surely,  An- 
tietam  was  a  great  stake,  for  in  that  question  of  slavery  there 
were  sharper  issues  than  in  State's  rights,  or  separation.  Slavery 
was  the  kernel  of  secession. 

Lee  slowly  moved  to  Martinsburg  and  Winchester,  after 
dealing  Porter's  corps  a  severe  blow  near^  the  Potomac,  for  fol- 
lowing so  closely.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  spread  out  along 
the  river,  especially  near  the  fords.  September  21,  McClellan's 
quarters  and  office  were  moved  half  a  mile  west  of  Sharpsburg, 
and  on  the  twenty-eighth  again  moved  two  and  a  half  miles  far- 
ther west ;  again,  to  near  Knoxville,  where  the  wires,  as  before, 
connected  Washington,  D.  C,  and  Greencastle,  Md.  October 
13,  head-quarters  were  once  more  moved  into  Pleasant  Valley. 
Emerick  left  McClellan's  at  this  point,  to  open  an  office  at  Bum- 
side's  quarters,  and  immediately  received  a  telegram  from  Wash- 
ington, offering  Burnside  the  command  of  the  army — an  offer 
which  was  declined  in  the  expressed  belief  that  McClellan  should 
be  retained. 

In  a  day  or  two  Emerick  was  sent  to  Couch's  head-quarters 
on  Bolivar  Heights,  relieving  Lounsberry,  who  had  remained 
with  the  army  after  his  capture.  At  this  time  Ed  Conway  and 
Charles  W.  Moore  worked  the  main  office  at  the  Ferty.  Moore 
had  just  been  returned  from  Libby  Prison.  Thomas  Dolan.  was 
located  at  Sharpsburg.  A  line  was  built  from  Hagerstown  to 
Hancock  and  to  Point  of  Rocks  via  Harpers  Ferry,  and  from 
the  Ferry  to  General  Sumner's  quarters,  half  a  mile  distant. 

October  10,  Stuart  crossed  the  Potomac,  and  with  two  thou- 
sand cavalry  raided  Chambersburg,  cutting  the  telegraph,  and 
recrossed,  having  passed  around  the  Union  army.  October  25, 
McClellan  began  crossing  into  Virginia  at  Harpers  Ferry  and 
Berlin.  McClellan  made  his  head- quarters  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  from  Berlin  during  something  like  a  week  that  the  army 
was  crossing.  All  the  supplies  were  wagoned  over  at  Berlin  to 
Lovettsville,  and  thence  distributed  to  supply  the  army  until  it 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  241 

could  be  cared  for  by  the  Manassas  Gap  Railway.  Lovettsville 
lies  at  the  foot  of  Loudon  Heights  and  is  three  miles  from  Ber- 
lin. The  telegraph  into  the  dominion  by  this  route  ended  here. 
A  few  weeks  later  the  post  was  abandoned  and  the  line  removed. 
Skirmishing  with  Lee,  especially  cavalry  encounters,  became 
frequent.  November  6,  McClellan's  army  lay  near  the  Manassas 
Gap  Railroad,  near  Warrenton,  and  general  head-quarters  were 
at  Rectortown,  the  Confederates  being  mainly  in  and  about  Cul- 
peper  Court  House. 

The  lines  via  Manassas  Junction  were  already  restored. 
Large  reinforcements  were  arriving  from  Washington  and  ope- 
rations once  more  indicated  decided  action.  But  on  the  Tth  of 
November  McClellan  was  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  deprived 
of  his  command  and  General  Ambrose  E.  Burnside  installed 
therein.  Not  to  digress  and  discuss  the  justice  of  the  order  or 
its  wisdom  at  that  particular  time,  it  may  be  asserted  that  the 
army  felt  his  removal  as  a  great  wrong  to  him  and  a  severe  blow 
to  the  cause.  This  was  no  less  so  among  the  department  opera- 
tors, especially  at  head-quarters,  for  the  general  held  the  tele- 
graph and  its  servitors  in  high  regard.  Writing  from  Warren- 
ton, Virginia,  five  days  later  to  a  comrade,  McClellan's  chief  op- 
erator, Caldwell,  said  : 

We  are  all  grieved  at  McClellan's  removal.  The  whole  army, 
from  major  generals  down  to  foot  orderlies,  cried  like  babies  when 
he  left.  Old  soldiers  of  the  regular  army,  who  have  been  in  the 
service  since  he  was  born,  wept  like  boys.  I  never  saw  such  a  re- 
ception as  the  men  gave  him  when  he  took  leave  of  them.  I  hardly 
think  McClellan  will  have  another  command  soon.  He  being  the 
ranking  major  general  of  the  army,  it  is  not  thought  he  will  take 
an  inferior  command.  I  had  quite  a  talk  with  him  before  he  left. 
He  thanked  me  for  the  manner  in  which  I  had  always  conducted 
my  duties,  and  told  me  if  ever  he  had  another  command  he  wished 
me  to  feel  that  I  must  be  with  him.  He  sent  me  an  elegant  letter 
and  I  am  proud  of  it. 

16 


242  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 


CHAPTER  X, 


THE  TELEGRAPH  IN  WEST  TENNESSEE  AND  NORTHERN  MIS- 
SISSIPPI DURING  THE  LAST  HALF  OF  1862.- FARMING- 
TON. —lUKA. —CORINTH.— VAN  DORN'S  AND  FORREST'S 
RAIDS.  — GRANT  versus  THE  U.  S.  M.  T.  — CHICKASAW 
BLUFFS.  — ARKANSAS    POST. 


Upon  Colonel  Wilson's  retirement  from  the  military  tele- 
graph service,  all  telegraphic  operations  in  General  Halleck's 
great  department  devolved  upon  Major  Smith,  who  had  accom- 
panied the  latter  to  Pittsburg  Landing.  As  Smith's  duties  re- 
quired his  presence  in  St.  Louis,  he  made  the  following  appoint- 
ment ; 

Pittsburg,  Tenn.,  April  18,  1862. 

Mr.  Duncan  T.  Bacon  is  hereby  authorized  to  take  command  of 
the  construction  party  and  the  working  of  military  lines  at  Pitts- 
burg, Tenn.,  and  as  they  may  be  built  hereafter,  until  further  or- 
ders. All  operators  will  report  to  him  for  orders.  Mr.  Bacon  will 
report  daily  to  head-quarters  telegraph  office  or  to  Captain  McLean, 
A.  A.  General,  for  orders,  and  carry  out  such  as  he  may  receive 
with  the  utmost  promptness.  (Signed)         Geo.  H.  Smith, 

Supt.  Mil.  Tel.^  Department  Mifisissippi, 

J.  S.  Burlingame  was  appointed  foreman  of  builders.  Bacon 
caused  an  office  to  be  opened  at  Halleck's  quarters  on  the  bluffs, 
and  a  field  line  to  be  erected,  connecting  various  division  head- 
quarters. John  C.  Sullivan  was  manager  of  Halleck's  office  ; 
Philip  Bruner,  of  General  Buell's,  was  assisted  by  Lewis  B. 
Spellman.  Ira  G.  Skinner  had  charge  of  General  Grant's  of- 
fice, having  been  with  him  since  August  16,  1861,  and  Wayne 
H.  Parsons  managed  General  Pope's.  Pope  having  succeeded 
in  capturing  Island  No.  Ten,  joined  Halleck  at  Shiloh  with  the 
major  part  of  his  forces,  say  twenty-five  thousand,  and  by  the 
30th  of  April  Halleck  had  a  well-appointed  army  of  one  hundred 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  243 

and  twenty  thousand  men,  under  some  of  the  ablest  officers  in 
the  country. 

Corinth,  not  Beauregard's  army,  appears  to  have  been  the. 
objective.  It  was  thirty  miles  away.  The  Federal  advance  be- 
gan  on  the  30th  of  April  and  entered  Corinth  on  the  30th  of 
May,  thus  averaging  one  mile  per  diem.  The  Confederate 
forces  were  far  inferior  in  numbers  and  organization.  All  ac- 
counts agree  that  Halleck's  caution  was  unwarranted  and  preju- 
dicial to  the  Union  cause. 

Besides  the  operators  named  who  took  part  in  this  campaign, 
there  were  at  various  head-quarters  Frank  S.  Van  Valkenburg, 
who  came  with  Pope,  and  Alva  S.  Hawkins,  George  Purdon, 
J.  T.  Tiffany,  Benjamin  H.  Peebles,  C.  W.  York,  Douglass 
Reid  and  Mark  D.  Crain.  Field  lines  at  all  times  connected  the 
several  division  head-quarters  with  Halleck's,  where  L.  C.  Weir 
was  cipherer.  At  one  time  Pope  was  directed  to  cause  a  recon- 
noissance  to  be  made  to  Farmington,  a  small  town  four  miles 
from  Corinth.  Solomon  Palmer  constructed  a  field  telegraph  as 
the  troops  advanced  on  the  place,  and  Parsons  went  as  operator. 
The  telegraph  party  was  under  the  protection  of  a  company  of 
the  Third  Illinois  Cavalry,  Captain  Smith.  No  difficulty  was 
experienced  in  driving  the  enemy  and  entering  the  place.  That 
accomplished,  the  main  force  returned,  leaving  General  Buford 
in  command  and  Parsons  to  do  the  operating.  At  dawn  of  the 
next  morning,  the  cavalry  pickets  reported  the  Confederates 
were  coming  in  force,  and  immediately  the  battle  of  Farmington 
began.  General  Pope  was  constantly  advised  by  telegraph  of 
the  situation,  and  Captain  Smith  of  the  telegraph  guard  inquired 
of  Pope  if  he  should  remain  longer.  Pope  answered  :  ''Yes  ; 
stay  there  till  you  see  the  enemy  or  are  driven  out."  In  five 
minutes  the  enemy  opened  fire  with  grape  and  canister,  raking 
the  shingles  from  the  roof  of  the  house  Parsons  Qsed  as  an  office. 
The  dirt  flew  about  when  the  destructive  missiles  struck  in  the 
front  yard.  The  enemy  deployed  so  as  to  capture  a  part  of  the 
guard.  Parsons  then  hurriedly  telegraphed,  ''The  robs  are 
right  on  us,"  and  jerking  the  instrument  from  its  fastenings 
placed  it  in  p,  rear  pocket  of  his  coat.  Mounting  his  horse,  he 
plied  his  spurs  for  the  rear.     While  thus  making  the  fastest 


244:  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

time  unrecorded,  a  shell  ploughed  the  ground  about  his  horse's 
feet,  with  no  other  effect  than  to  increase  the  pace. 

Parsons  soon  connected  his  instrument  again  and  reported  to 
Pope,  but  within  ten  minutes  shot  and  shell  were  falling  about 
him.  One  shell  burst  on  the  ground  within  ten  feet  of  him,  a 
piece  of  it  tearing  the  leg  from  a  boot  worn  by  one  of  the  cav- 
alry escort.  Again  Parsons  retreated  and  again  connected  his 
instrument,  and  was  a  third  time  driven  off.  Ten  thousand  of 
Van  Dorn  and  Price's  soldiers  from  the  west  were  pressing  a 
single  brigade.  Parsons  lost  his  instrument  from  his  pocket, 
but  Captain  Smith  restored  it.  On  Parsons'  arrival  at  Pope's  at 
four  p.  M.,  tired,  dusty  and  hungry,  great  was  his  chagrin, 
because  the  general  discredited  his  reports  from  Farmington, 
and  had  told  the  operators  that  Parsons  "was  scared  and  should 
be  placed  under  arrest,"  but  General  Buford  convinced  Pope 
that  great  praise  was  due  Parsons  for  his  gallant  services,  and 
Pope  himself  subsequently  commended  him  therefor.  It  is  not 
usual  in  war  to  require  such  exposure  of  civilians,  but  the  mili- 
tary operator  was  a  frequent  exception. 

While  lying  in  front  of  Corinth,  Halleck's  provost  marshal 
issued  an  order  forbidding  the  landing  of  any  liquors  and  clos- 
ing the  bars  on  all  steamers  on  the  Tennessee.  The  operators 
at  Halleck's  were  puzzled  to  circumvent  the  order,  believing 
liquor  no  worse  for  them  than  for  the  staff.  Finally  one  of  the 
telegraphers  called  on  the  marshal  and  with  great  nawete  re- 
marked parenthetically,  that  the  field  lines  were  nearly  useless 
for  want  of  battery  material.  The  marshal  inquired  what  article 
they  were  in  need  of  and  was  informed  of  the  lack  of  acid.  "By 
the  way,"  said  the  operator,  "If  we  had  a  barrel  of  alcohol,  we 
might  use  it  as  a  substitute  until  supplies  arrived  from  St. 
Louis. "  The  marshal  was  very  sorry  that  he  had  no  alcohol ; 
the  operator  was  inwardly  struggling  to  keep  his  countenance  as 
the  marshal,  having  only  the  advancement  of  the  service  at 
heart,  added,  in  all  seriousness — "But  I  have  several  barrels  of 
confiscated  whisky  and  if  one  of  them  would  be  useful  in 
strengthening  the  battery,  it  will  be  sent  over  at  once."  The 
operator  drolly  allowed  that  whisky  was  not  so  good  a  substi- 
tute as  alcohol,  but  was  convinced  that  if  he  had  a  good  article, 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


245 


he  could  keep  the  telegraph   in  operation.     Accordingly,  the 
marshal  sent  over  a  barrel  of  his  best. 

A  contraband  sunk  a  hole  within  the  office  tent,  and  the 
barrel  with  all  due  solemnities  was  placed  therein  and  covered 
with  earth.  A  small  elder  stick,  with  the  pith  driven  out,  pro- 
truded from  the  barrel  a  few  inches  above  the  ground.  The 
battery  material  was  tested  and  the  lines  worked  beautifully  (hie). 
The  operator  was  loud  in  its  praise  to  the  provost  marshal.  In 
the  afternoon  while  one  of  the  operators,  measured  his  length  on 


DRAWING  BATTERY  MATERIAL. 


the  ground,  drawing  battery  material,  General  Halleck  unex- 
pectedly entered  the  tent  and  being  of  an  inquisitive  turn  of 
mind,  rendered  more  acute  by  the  blushes  that  mantled  the 
cheeks  of  the  operator,  he  inquired  "why  so  prostrate,  young 
man?*"  to  which  the  confused  operator  stammered,  "I  was 
drawing  battery  material.  General."  Halleck  plied  the  operator 
with  questions  until  he  received  the  whole  story,  which  he 
laughed  heartily  over.  Having  finished  his  business  he  left, 
with  the  remark  that  he  should  have  to  see  that  the  marshal  was 
better  posted  on  the  requirements  of  the  telegraph.  As  the 
story  soon  leaked  out,  the  quarters  became  popular  and  the  sub- 
stitute  ebbed   away  ;  but   for   months   the  marshal's  decanter, 


246  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

labelled  "Battery  Material,"   was  the  solace   of  sympathizing 
friends  who  called  to  condole  with  him. 

It  may  seem  somewhat  remarkable  that  Confederate  operators 
about  Columbus,  Kentucky,  had  successfully  adopted  the  same 
ruse,  as  already  related,  but  the  acid  theory  was  strangely  pop- 
ular. Major  Eckert  visited  City  Point  in  1864,  on  a  tour  of 
inspection.  On  his  way,  he  concluded  to  send  a  barrel  of 
whisky  and  a  quantity  of  quinine  to  the  army  for  the  use  of  the 
operators,  many  of  whom  were  victims  of  malaria  and  exposures. 
But  on  nearing  Jamestown  Island,  the  steamboat  captain  told 
him  he  had  a  demijohn  of  acid  for  H.  W.  Cowan,  operator  there. 
Knowing  how  hard  Cowan  fought  malaria,  Eckert  inspected  the 
demijohn  and  remarked  to  the  captain  that  it  was  acid  for  the 
electropian  battery,  and  would  not  be  needed,  so  the  steamer  was 
not  stopped.  George  Henderson,  John  D.  Tinney  and  Edward 
Conway,  operators,  on  board  investigated  the  article  even  more 
closely  than  the  major  had  done,  convincing  the  latter  that  he 
need  not  send  the  barrel.  It  is  said  that  when  Major  Eckert 
returned  to  Washington  he  very  solemnly  reported  that  the 
operators  at  the  front  were  found  in  good  spirits. 

Corinth  was  evacuated  on  the  30th  of  May,  and  the  Fed- 
erals took  possession.  General  Williams'  house,  fronting  the 
park,  was  selected  for  telegraph  head-quarters.  Many  of  the 
operators  gathered  there  and  related  the  story  of  their  respective 
services  and  hair-breadth  escapes,  but  above  all  congratulated 
one  another  on  being  that  night  in  Corinth,  Mississippi,  and  in 
telegraphic  communication  with  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

The  joy  which  the  tidings  of  the  capture  of  Corinth  created 
in  the  North  was  warranted  by  anticipations,  but  was  not  justi- 
fied by  realizations.  Buell  and  Pope,  with  seventy  thousand 
men,  pursued  Beauregard  a  short  distance  without  effect.  About 
the  middle  of  June,  Buell  was  ordered  to  move  with  Wood's, 
McCook's  and  Crittenden's  divisions  toward  Chattanooga,  which 
he  did,  repairing  the  Memphis  &  Charleston  Railroad  as  Jie  ad- 
vanced. Thomas  and  Nelson,  with  their  divisions,  followed 
during  the  summer.  Grant  was  sent  to  Memphis;  Rosecrans 
had  already  arrived  from  the  East  and  succeeded  Pope,  who  was 
sent  to  the  Department  of  the  Potomac  and  most  of  whose  troops 
were   returned  to  Missouri.     We  will  take  up  Buell's  h'ne  of 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


24T 


march  in  good  time,  first  devoting  our  attention  however,  to 
West  Tennessee  and  Northern  Mississippi.  After  Buell  had 
gotten  well  under  way  for  Chattanooga,  Bragg,  who  superseded 
Beauregard,  also  started  therefor,  leaving  Van  Dorn  and  Price 
in  North  Mississippi. 

General  Halleck,  directly  after  taking  Corinth,  ordered 
Lieutenant  Colonel  McPherson  to  superintend  the  repair  and 
operation  of  the  railroads  leading  to  Jackson,  Tennessee,  and 


SMITH'S    PRIZE. 


Columbus,  Kentucky,  and  from  Jackson  to  Grand  Junction,  and 
thence  to  Memphis.  Major  Smith,  of  the  Telegraph  Coips,  was 
assigned  to  the  task  of  opening  the  wires  to  Cairo  and  Memphis. 
''Assigned,"  is  hardly  the  word,  because  he  anticipated  the 
order  in  his  loyal  haste,  for  scarcely  had  the  enemy  left  Corinth 
when  Smith  and  Captain  Brackett  (the  latter  in  command  of  a 
company  specially  detailed  to  guard  and  aid  the  telegraphers), 
having  heard  that  the  Confederates  had  unwittingly  fired  a  bridge 
near  Chewalla  before  the  last  retreating  and  heavily  laden  trains 
had  passed  over,  hiuTied  to  the  burned  bridge  and  found  six 
locomotives  partially  wrecked  and  their  trains  badly  destroyed. 
Parts  of  engines  were  found  in  the  swamps  near  by  ;  one  of  the 
engineers  was  captured  by  Brackett's  men  and  by  great  industry 


248  THE  MILITAKY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

and  perseverance  and  search  for  pieces  m  the  swamps,  an  en- 
gine was  repaired,  so  as  to  be  worked  on  one  side.  Its  wood^ 
work  had  been  mainly  destroyed,  and  broken  and  bruised  as  it 
was,  it  presented  a  sorry  appearance,  but  Smith  knew  how 
useful  it  would  be  to  him.  About  sundown  he  burst  into  Cor- 
inth with  his  prize,  which  filled  the  air  with  its  screams,  that 
sounded  like  melody  to  the  troops.  A  great  shout  went  forth 
from  thousands  of  throats.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before  an 
army  officer  demanded  that  the  engine  be  turned  over  to  him, 
but  Smith  peremptorily  refused,  telling  the  officer  that  there 
were  more  where  this  one  came  from  and  he  should  go  there  and 
help  himself.  A  guard  however,  was  about  forcibly  to  eject 
Smith,  when  Halleck  was  appealed  to  and  interference  prevented. 
It  was  with  this  one-legged  locomotive,  that  the  repairs  of  the 
line  were  hastened. 

Some  days  before  any  Federal  troops  had  reached  the  vicinity 
of  Jackson,  Tennessee,  Smith  and  a  few  others,  taking  a  hand- 
car north  of  the  first  break  in  the  road,  pushed  on  through  that 
guerrilla  country,  repairing  the  line  then  not  much  injured,  at 
least  as  far  as  Jackson.  It  was  a  daring,  if  not  a  reckless  opera- 
tion, and  Halleck  reproved  him  for  it,  but  then,  nobody  in  war 
censures  another  very  severely  for  being  too  brave,  if  successful. 

However,  the  line  was  at  once  cut  again,  and  John  C.  Sulli- 
van and  O.  W.  Paxson,  operators,  were  ordered  to  accompany  a 
part  of  Colonel  Bissell's  Blinois  Engineer  regiment  on  flat  and 
dump  cars  by  night,  to  avoid  guerrilla  parties,  while  en  route 
repairing  the  line.  Six  miles  out  they  found  a  bridge  over  a 
creek  in  flames.  Two  of  the  near  residents  being  caught  away 
from  home  were  brought  to  the  bridge  ;  a  court-martial  convened 
and  preparations  were  apparently  made,  while  the  trial  pro- 
gressed, for  hanging  them.  After  the  prisoners  had  waited  an 
hour  for  the  decision,  the  court  reported  that  it  could  not  agree 
upon  a  judgment,  and  the  prisoners,  thoroughly  frightened,  were 
released,  after  which,  it  is  said,  that  bridge  was  the  constant  ob- 
ject of  their  watchful  attentions.  The  line  was  opened  to  Co- 
lumbus in  due  time  and  thence  to  Cairo  via  Paducah. 

Beauregard  retired  to  Okolona,  Mississippi,  leaving  all  of 
West  Tennessee  an  easy  conquest,  and  early  in  June  Union  Gen- 
eral McClernand's  forces  moved  westward  to  Bolivar  and  Mem- 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  249 

phis,  causing,  as  we  have  seen,  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Pillow, 
above  Memphis. 

Sullivan,  aided  by  Henry  Wilson,  William  Lane  and  three 
other  builders,  repaired  the  line  from  Corinth  to  Memphis,  trav- 
eling by  hand-car,  which  was  carried  or  drawn  over  or  around 
breaks  in  the  railroad.  About  thirty  miles  west  of  Grand  Junc- 
tion they  rested  over  night  at  a  planter's  house,  where  eight 
rebel  cavalry  lay  fast  asleep  on  the  arrival  of  Sullivan's  party, 
and  as  the  lady  of  the  house  did  not  know  which  side  would  fi- 
nally triumph,  she  did  not  apprise  either  party  of  the  presence 
of  the  other,  but  as  the  Southerners  had  first  retired,  she  consid- 
erately aroused  them  before  daylight  and  sent  them  on  their 
way.  Ten  days  later,  as  repairers  were  passing  this  same  place, 
an  unspiked  rail  was  drawn  from  the  track  by  a  wire  attached 
thereto,  thus  ditching  the  car  and  three  men,  who  were  made 
prisoners,  and  who,  after  marching  some  twenty  miles,  were  pa- 
roled ;  but  the  report  of  their  death  had  been  started.  This  re- 
port originated  from  blood  being  found  about  the  wrecked  car. 
One  of  the  guerrillas  had  nearly  severed  a  hand  by  a  hatchet 
blow  aimed  at  the  car. 

Among  other  citizens  of  Memphis  remaining  after  its  capture 
were  Ed  and  Alf  Saville,  Canadians,  but  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  doctrines  of  secession.  These  Memphis  operators  were 
for  a  time  permitted  to  remain,  but  being  suspected  of  commu- 
nicating with  the  enemy,  they  were  sent  beyond  the  Federal 
lines.  Ed  Saville  then  took  charge  of  the  office  at  Meridian, 
Mississippi,  and  it  was  while  manager  of  that  office  that  he  acted 
as  a  Confederate  spy,  tapping  the  Memphis  and  Corinth  line,  the' 
story  of  which  is  related  by  the  New  York  Tribune  Memphis 
correspondent,  A.  D.  Richardson,  in  his  "Field,  Dungeon  and 
Escape."  The  W.  H.  Hall  mentioned  in  the  account,  worked  in 
Memphis  with  the  Savilles  when  that  city  w^as  captured,  and  was 
imprisoned  in  August,  1863,  on  charges  of  disloyalty  while  en- 
gaged in  the  Cairo  office.  It  was  said  that  he  was  ardently  at- 
tached to  a  Memphis  belle,  who  was  devoted  to  the  Southern 
cause,  and  that  in  his  letter  to  her  father  he  divulged  important 
Federal  secrets.  He  was  confronted  with  those  letters  by  Gen- 
erals Hurlbut  and  Yeatch,  before  being  sent  to  the  Memphis  mil- 
itary prison  in  the  Irving  block.     It  is  difficult  to  restrain  un- 


250  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

complimentary  remarks  about  those  who  employed  him,  for 
whether  guilty  or  not,  his  antecedent  service  was  enough,  how- 
ever much  he  might  protest  fealty  to  the  Union,  to  have  caused 
his  exclusion  from  Federal  military  telegraph  offices.  Richard- 
son's account  is  as  follows  : 

Halleck  continued  in  command  at  Corinth.  From  some  cause 
his  official  telegrams  to  General  Curtis  in  Arkansas  and  Commodore 
Davis  on  the  Mississippi,  were  not  transmitted  in  cipher,  and  the 
line  was  unguarded,  though  leading  through  an  intensely  rebel  re- 
gion. In  July,  the  Memphis  operators,  from  the  difficult  working 
of  their  instruments,  surmised  that  some  outsider  must  be  sharing 
their  telegraphic  secrets.  One  day  the  transmission  of  a  message 
was  suddenly  interrupted  by  the  ejaculation,  "  P^haw!  hurrah  for 
Jeff.  Davis."  Individuality  reveals  itself  as  clearly  in  telegraphing 
as  in  the  footsteps  or  handwriting.  Mr.  Hall,  the  Memphis  opera- 
tor, instantly  recognized  the  performer  by  what  musicians  call  his 
"time,"  as  a  former  telegraphic  associate  in  the  North,  and  sent 
him  this  message:  "  Saville,  if  you  don't  want  to  be  hung,  you  had 
better  leave;  our  cavalry  is  closing  in  on  all  sides  of  you."  (This 
was  a  ruse. — Author.)  After  a  little  pause,the  surprised  rebel  replied: 
"How  in  the  world  did  you  know  me.  I  have  been  here  four  days 
and  learned  all  about  your  military  secrets ;  but  it's  becoming  a 
rather  tight  place,  and  I  think  I  will  leave.  Good  by,  boys."  He 
made  good  his  escape  in  the  woods.  He  had  cut  the  wire,  inserted 
one  of  his  own,  and  by  a  pocket  instrument  perused  our  official  de- 
spatches, stating  the  exact  number  and  location  of  United  States 
troops  in  Memphis.  Reinforcements  were  immediately  ordered  in 
to  guard  against  a  rebel  dash. 

S.  H.  Beckwith,  who  was  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson 
and  Shiloh,  and  accompanied  his  regiment  to  Corinth  and 
Jackson,  Tennessee,  was,  in  the  middle  of  July,  detailed  to  as- 
sist the  operators  at  Halleck's  in  Corinth. 

On  the  1st  of  August,  Superintendent  David,  of  the  West 
Virginia  Department,  having  previously  been  commissioned  cap- 
tain and  assistant  quarter-master,  was  sent  west  w^here  there 
were  no  commissioned  officers  in  the  Corps,  with  instructions  to 
examine  into  the  telegraph  affiiirs  and  make  such  changes  as  his 
experience  and  observation  should  dictate.  He  recommended 
that  Randall  P.  Wade  be  assisnied  to  Missouri  with  John  C.  Van 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  251 

Dazer  as  manager,  saying  that  Van  Dazer  would  be  superseded 
by  C.  E.  Bliven,  and  was  doing  too  good  work  to  be  overlooked. 
Samuel  Bruch,  recommended  to  Stager  for  a  commission,  was 
made  captain,  and  his  jurisdiction  made  to  include  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee.  Van  Duzer,  who  took  hold  again  as  assistant 
manager  upon  Bacon's  taking  the  Memphis  district,  was  retained 
in  West  Tennessee.  Bliven  was  given  a  small  appointment 
about  Covington,  Kentucky;  Wade,  a  department  north  of  the 
Ohio  and  east  of  the  Mississippi  rivers.  Robert  C.  dowry, 
chief  operator  since  April,  1862,  at  head-quarters,  St.  Louis, 
was  placed  temporarily  in  charge  of  lines  in  Missouri,  and 
George  H.  Smith  soon  received  a  captain's  commission  and  an 
appointment  to  the  management  of  all  the  lines  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. David,  at  his  request,  was  returned  to  his  own  depart- 
ment, after  an  absence  of  about  six  weeks. 

Halleck's,  and  subsequently  Grant's,  lines  of  communication 
were  very  long,  and  continually  extending — so  much  so,  that  the 
commanders  were  thereby  required  to  scatter  their  troops  until 
there  was  not  a  unitable  force  at  command  exceeding  the  enemy 
in. front,  who  threatened  Corinth,  Bolivar  and  Jackson,  chief 
points  of  Federal  defense.  Sherman  occupied  the  Memphis  & 
Charleston  road,  about  Chewalla,  and  later  (June  and  July)  with 
his  own  and  Hurlbut's  divisions,  repaired  the  road  west  of  Grand 
Junction,  and  after  a  temporary  occupation  of  Holly  Springs, 
relieved  Hovey,  at  Memphis,  and  ordered  him  to  reinforce  Curtis 
at  Helena,  Ark.  This  was  late  in  July.  Halleck  was,  on  the 
17th  of  July,  made  commander-in-chief  of  all  the  armies  and 
ordered  to  make  his  head-quarters  in  Washington.  This  brought 
Grant  back  to  Corinth. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Confederate  authorities,  thoroughly 
alarmed  at  the  inroads  of  the  Federals  (who  already  held  all  of 
Missouri  and  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  except  about  Knoxville 
and  Chattanooga,  and  also  had  a  foothold  in  Alabama,  Mississip- 
pi, Arkansas  and  Louisiana,  besides  their  Eastern  occupations), 
had  begun  a  merciless  conscription,  rigorous  beyond  precedent 
in  this  country,  by  virtue  of  which  Lee's  armies  in  the  East  were 
swollen,  and  McClellan  was  driven  to  the  banks  of  the  James; 
McDowell,  Banks  and  Fremont  were  desperately  striving  to  de- 
fend Washington,  Maryland  and  West  Virginia,  and  Buell  was 


252  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

put  to  his  wits'  end  to  fathom  and  counteract  Bragg's  strong 
measures,  menacing  Louisville.  Even  Cincinnati  was  more  ter- 
rified than  Nashville,  which  was  cut  off  from  the  world.  Out 
of  these  mighty  hosts,  so  "corralled,"  by  a  law,  passed  April 
16,  1862,  which  substantially  declared  every  man  between  the 
ages  of  eighteen  and  thirty-five  a  conscript,  and  every  conscript 
who  neglected  to  report  for  muster,  a  deserter,  VanDorn  and 
Price  were  reinforced,  so  that,  notwithstanding  the  Confederacy 
was  viciously  on  the  offensive  in  Kentucky  and  Virginia,  it 
spared  VanDorn  and  Price  about  forty  thousand  troops,  and 
among  them  those  bold  riders,  Forrest  and  Armstrong  and  their 
cavalry,  that  needed  but  the  order,  to  do  and  to  dare.  At  this 
crisis.  Grant  telegraphed  Washington  :  "  My  position  is  precari- 
ous, but  I  hope  to  get  out  of  it  all  right." 

The  following  lines,  rebuilt  or  repaired  in  Grant's  district, 
indicate  Halleck's  and  Grant's  telegraphic  facilities,  viz. : 


Miles. 
Oolumbus  to  Union  City,  Tenn...     26 

Union  City  to  Jackson,  Tenn 60 

Jackson  to  Bethel 35 

Betliel  to  RienzUvia  Corinth,  Miss.    25 

Rienzi  to  Booneville 8 

Rienzi  to  Jacinto 9 

Corinth  to  Decatur,  Ala 95 

Corinth  to  Memphis,  Tenn 93 

Jackson  to  Memphis,  via  Grand 

Junction 100 

Orand    Junction    to    Waterford, 

Miss 33 

Cairo,  111.,  to  Clarksville,  Tenn., 

ma  Ft.  Donelson 188 

Cairo  to  Blandville,  Ky 15 


Miles. 

Paducah  to  Columbus,  Ky 47 

Moscow  (rebuilt)  to  Memphis 39 

Pittsburg  Landing  to  Corinth 30 

Pittsburg  to  Waynesboro 37 

Hamburg,  Tenn.,  to  Farmington.  18 

Savannah  to  Pittsburg  Landing..  13 

Field  Lines  to  Halleck's  Hd-qrs...  30 

luka  to  Eastport.  Miss 9 

luka  to  Rosecrans'  Hd-qrs 1 

luka  to  Grant's  Hd-qrs 1 

Corinth  to  Grant's  Hd-qrs. 2 

Corinth  to  Rosecrans' Hd-qrs 3 

La  Grange  to  Grant's  Hd-qrs 1 

Grand    Junction    to    Hamilton's 

Hd-qrs 2 

Total .919 

This  grand  total  represents  the  importance  attached  to  the 
military  telegraph  service,  and  illustrates  the  energy  of  the  Corps. 
Nashville  was  in  communication  with  Corinth,  direct,  via  Deca- 
tur, and  via  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  indirectly  by  way  of  Clarks- 
ville, Paducah,  and  Jackson.  A  foreigner  must  have  difficulty 
in  believing  that  these  long  cords  ran  through  a  brave  enemy's 
country,  and  were  at  the  same  time  successful ;  yet  it  is  a  great 
fact.     It  will  be  readily  understood  that  if  the  line  between  Cor- 


cope  (MrarOea 


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[USIVBRSITT] 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  255 

inth  and  Jackson  was  cut,  these  places  could  communicate  via 
Decatur,  Nashville,  and  Cairo,  or  Savannah,  Nashville  and  Cairo. 
The  offices  on  Grant's  lines  were  managed  by  operators  who  were 
changed  about  a  good  deal,  but,  taking  the  month  of  September 
and  including  Memphis,  which  was  not  then  in  circuit,  owing  to 
the  enemy's   cutting  the  line,   they  were  located  as  follows : 
Cairo,  111. — (except  while  in  Mound  City  Hospital,  where  the 
Sisters  of  Mercy  assuaged  their  malarial  fevers)  W.  L.  Gross, 
manager ;  W.  H.  Parsons,  Ed.   Schermerhorn,  John  J.  Egan, 
Steve    L.    Robinson    (ten    days),    W.    W.    Forbes,   Jacob    V. 
Hill.      Blandville,    Ky. — James  W.  Atwell.  Paducah,   Ky. — 
T.  R.  Lewis,  to  sixteenth,   and  George  Stillman.      Columbus, 
Ky. — Edward  H.  Johnson  and  James  K.  Parsons.     Union  City, 
Tenn. — S.  L.  Robinson,  to  thirteenth,  Stockton  L.  Griffin  and 
Augustus  Tyrrill.    Jackson,  Tenn. — James  Q.  Olmstead  and  Jas. 
H.  Douglass.  Bethel,  Tenn. — Brace  M.  Burnett.    Rienzi,  Miss, — 
William  B.  Somerville,  recently  from  Jacinto,  Miss.     Brittons, 
Tenn.— Thos.   R.  Berryhill.      Corinth,  Miss.— A.  S.  Hawkins, 
manager;    Joseph   Blish,  Jr.,    Mark  D.   Crain,    Anthony  R. 
Walsh,  Sam'l  T.  Brush,  Algernon  W.  O'Neil  and  T.  R.  Lewis, 
from  the  twentieth:     luka.  Miss. — Edwin  Peel,  who  was  captured 
in  a  boat  near  Paducah,  and  who  had  served  at  Corinth,  and 
probably  escaped  from  luka  with  Colonel  Murphy.      Grant's 
head  -  quarters. — Ira  G.    Skinner  and    Samuel  H.    Beckwith. 
Rosecrans'    head-quarters. — Horace  W.  Nichols  and  Lewis  B. 
Spellman.      Hamilton's  head- quarters. — Lewis  B.  Spellman,  in 
November,  who  was  also  with  him  at  Clear  Creek.     Memphis, 
Tenn. — Duncan   T.    Bacon,    who  about  this  time  took  charge 
of  head-quarters  office,  St.  Louis,  Frank  S.  Van  Valkenburg. 
Henderson,  Tenn. — ^Edward  F.  Butler.     Trenton,  Tenn. — Ben- 
jamin H.  Peebles.     Dodge's  head-quarters,  Humboldt,  Tenn. — 
S.  L.  Griffin,  part  month,   and  John  C.   Holdridge.     Bolivar, 
Tenn.— G.  P.  Lennox  and  J.  T.  Tifiany.     La  Fayette,   Tenn.— 
\Yilliam  A.   Thgyer.     Kenton,   Tenn.— C.   S.  Whittlesey,  who 
nearly  died  from  sickness  in  his  first  month's  service  and  re- 
signed.     Madison,    Ala.— George   E.    Cromwell.      Tuscumbia, 
Ala. — Edwin  D.   Butler  and  W.  W.  Forbes,  from  Cairo.     Me- 
tropolis,  111.— Charles  Wallace,  late  of  Kenton  office.     Mound 


254  THE   MI  LIT  AH  Y   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

City,  111. — George  M.  Brush.  Mound  City  Hospital. — ^Frequent 
arrivals  and  departures.  Caledonia,  111.. — George  S.  Pidgeon. 
Very  great  trouble  was  experienced  with  the  Ohio  River 
cables  at  Paducah  and  Cairo.  Two  were  laid  in  the  Spring,  but 
soon  failed;  one,  owing  to  being  destroyed  by  lightning;  another 
was  laid  at  Cairo  in  the  middle  of  September,  but  gave  out  be- 
fore night.  The  long  circuit  from  Cairo  to  Corinth,  Tuscumbia 
and  Decatur  for  the  most  part  worked  heavy,  i.  e. ,  the  ground 
escapes  were  numerous  and  occasionally  prevented  the  use  of 
the  line.  Nothing  was  so  trying  as  the  position  of  the  operator 
who  had  important  dispatches  to  send,  and  who  could  easily 
hear  the  office  he  wanted,  but  could  not  make  himself  understood 
because  (as  a  rule)  the  operator  at  the  distant  office  did  not 
adjust  his  instrument  so  delicately  as  to  catch  the  faintest  change 
in  the  electric  charge  of  the  lines.  When,  however,  he  did  re- 
spond, the  fault  was  apparent,  and  it  not  unfrequently  happened 
that  Dante's  Inferno  was  telegraphically  portrayed  in  language 
fraught  with  blisters,  and  somebody  consigned  where  time  was 
not  of  the  essence  of  the  contract :  of  course  retaliatory  meas- 
ures followed.  It  was  after  an  occasion  like  this  that  Patrick 
MuUarkey,  then  working  in  the  Memphis  office,  took  a  trip  all 
the  way  to  Louisville  to  see  the  operator  who  spoke,  over  the 
wire,  inelegantly  of  hjm  and  his,  at  that  presumably  safe  distance, 
but  the  truth  was  that  "Pat"  himself  had  an  uneven  temper. 
Another  instance  :  "Hank"  Cowan,  while  working  at  Bealeton, 
Virginia,  during  the  war,  became  convinced  that  A.  H.  Bliss, 
operator  at  Rappahannock  Station,  deserved  a  whipping  for 
telegraphic  innuendoes  which  reflected  upon  Cowan's  past  and 
present,  and  assumed  to  foreshadow  his  future,  whereupon 
"Hank"  diplomatically  pronounced  it  casus  'belli  and  mount- 
ing his  Pegassus,  flew  to  Rappahannock  Station,  but  his  ire, 
recently  incandescent,  had  moderated  when  he  reached  the  box 
car  where  Bliss  reigned  supreme.  With  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 
Bliss  announced  his  readiness  for  the  worst,  but  Cowan  admi1> 
ted  that  he  had  lost  his  anger,  which 

"  Is  like  a  fall  hot  horse,  who  being  allowed  his  way, 
Self-mettle  tires  him." 

^ot  to  lose  his  ride  entirely,  he  began  a  game  of  euchre  without 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  255 

a  cooling-card,  and  when  Bliss  charged  him  with  cheating,  a  new 
casus  resulted  and  Cowan's  optics  changed  color,  but  bent  on 
rewarding  merit,  he  caused  his  photograph  to  be  taken  and  duly 
presented  to  Bliss  with  appropriate  resolutions. 

About  the  1st  of  September,  the  rebels  struck  a  detachment 
of  the  Federals  at  Medon  and  Bolivar.  Small  parties  occas- 
ionally cut  the  line,  but  decamped  as  rapidly  as  possible  there- 
after, and  for  the  most  part  the  wires  ran  alongside  the  railroad 
so  that  repairs  followed  speedily.  On  the  thirteenth  day  of  Sep- 
tember, Price  seized  luka,  which  Colonel  Murphy  had  abandoned 
to  him,  and  Grant  supposing  Price  entertained  designs  against 
Nashville  or  by  the  coming  of  Van  Dorn  from  the  south-west, 
hoped  to  hem  in  the  Federals  at  Corinth,  determined,  if  possible, 
to  crush  Price  before  Van  Dorn,  who  was  four  day's  march  from 
Corinth,  could  arrive.  To  this  end  Rosecrans  with  nine  thous- 
and men  was  to  approach  luka  from  the  south  via  the  Jacinto 
and  Fulton  roads,  and  Ord  with  eight  thousand  troops  from  the 
north.  Both  came  in  good  time  but  owing  to  the  wind  blowing 
from  the  north,  Ord  could  not  hear  Rosecrans'  guns,  and  Price, 
whatever  his  purpose,  made  good  his  escape  to  Ripley  by  the 
Fulton  road  which  Rosecrans  did  not  take.  The  battle  between 
Rosecrans  and  Price  was  short  and  severe,  neither  side  being 
beaten - 

Repairers  James  Raile  and  Horace  Benedict  while  en  route^ 
east  of  Burnsville,  about  the  thirteenth,  to  repair  the  line,  were 
captured  by  Price's  troops. 

Price  immediately  began  executing  another  plan  against 
Corinth,  but  before  it  developed,  perhaps  before  it  was  formed, 
mz. :  on  the  twenty-third.  General  Grant  changed  his  quarters  to 
Jackson,  the  better  to  watch  over  Ord  at  Bolivar  with  nine 
thousand  troops,  and  Rosecrans,  who  was  left  in  command  at 
Corinth  with  about  eighteen  thousand.  October  2d,  Price 
appeared  before  the  city  and  cut  the  telegraph  lines.  On  the 
next  day  Rosecrans  developed  the  enemy's  force  and  retired  be- 
hind the  defences  to  await  the  onslaught,  but  as  soon  as  he 
discovered  that  Corinth  was  the  objective,  Rosecrans  sent  opera- 
tor Beckwith,  escorted  by  cavalry,  around  and  behind  the  enemy 
to  transmit  telegrams  to  Grant.  This  was  accomplished  near 
Purdy,  when  the  party  safely  returned  with  Grant's  instructions. 

>*'  at  THE    ^ 

'tTiri7EE3IT7] 


256  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Early  on  the  fourth,  the  battle  began.  Mr.  Van  Duzer  was  there 
with  his  operators,  Hawkins,  Blish  Jr.,  Grain,  Somerville, 
O'Neil,  Lewis  and  Walsh.  Jean  Jourde,  the  operator's  chef  de 
cuisine  was  there  also.  He  rose  early  to  prepare  some  great 
dish,  perhaps  it  was  jpotage  au  gras^  possibly  pate  de  foie  gras^ 
more  likely  Schweiiifleisch  rait  Bohnen  /  but  a  shell  suddenly 
fell  and  burst  just  outside  of  the  operators'  quarters,  whereat 
Jourd^'s  hair  assumed  the  perpendicular.  Hawkins  hurried  out 
of  bed,  but  none  too  soon,  as  a  moment  later,  another  shell  came 
crashing  through  the  building  and  struck  the  cot  from  which  he 
had  just  risen,  throwing  it  in  atoms  against  the  ceiling.  Only  a 
pale,  sickly  smile  escaped  him,  as  he  contemplated  how  near 
eternity  he  slept.  Van  Duzer  was  in  the  same  house,'  too  sick 
to  be  about,  but  the  "leaden  rain  and  iron  hail"  gave  him 
strength  to  seek  other  quarters  without  delay.  Jourde 's  excite- 
ment resolved  its  expression  into  the  langage  des  halles  and 
mutilated  anglais  as  follows  :  "By  gar  !  I  no  hook  ze  brakefas 
in  ze  plass.  I  shall  go,  you  shall  come^  by  gar  !  "  and  the  boys 
stood  not  upon  the  order. 

That  was  a  dreadful  conflict  that  raged  until  noon  of  that 
day,  in  and  around  Corinth,  between  eighteen  thousand  Union- 
ists and  thirty-seven  thousand  rebels.  Battery  Kichardson  was 
carried  by  assault  and  the  enemy  under  Price  rushed  to  the  very 
center  of  the  town,  even  to  Rosecrans'  head-quarters,  but  Van 
Dorn  had  been  delayed  on  the  left  and,  besides  the  Federal  mus-. 
ketry,  forts  Chapman,  Williams  and  Robinet  opened  an  enfi- 
lading fire  upon  Price's  troops,  repelling  them  with  great  slaugh- 
ter. Then  Van  Dorn's  command,  led  by  that  brave  Texan, 
Rogers,  stormed  Robinet.  One  brigade  fell  to  pieces,  but  an- 
other pressed  on  ;  then  that,  too,  crumbled  and,  leaving  dead, 
wounded  and  captured,  what  remained  of  it  hurriedly  sought 
safety  beyond  the  reach  of  Federal  guns.  The  casualties  were 
frightful,  for,  it  is  said,  one  thousand,  four  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  Confederates  were  killed  and  nearly  six  thousand  wounded. 
Daring  the  battle  and  the  pursuit,  two  thousand,  two  hundred 
and  forty-eight  prisoners  were  captured. 

The  defeat  of  the  troops  under  Van  Dorn,  Price,  Lovell,  Vil- 
lipigue  and  Rust  at  Corinth,  and  their  hasty  flight  from  Ord's 
forces,  which  came  out  from  Bolivar,  and   Rosecrans'  troops^ 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  257 

which  started  in  pursuit,  aided  by  McPherson,  who  had  come 
down  from  Jackson,  carried  the  greatest  consternation  into  the 
enemy's  ranks  and  as  well  also  throughout  the  whole  South. 
Of  course  the  Unionists  were  correspondingly  emboldened ; 
moreover,  Grant  was  receiving  reinforcements.  He  therefore 
determined  to  assume  the  offensive.  Rosecrans  was,  on  the 
twenty-fourth  day  of  October,  ordered  to  supersede  Buell,  whose 
forces  were  then  mainly  in  Kentucky.  Three  divisions  were 
sent  from  Corinth  and  two  from  Bolivar  to  Grand  Junction, 
where  they  arrived  about  the  4th  of  November.  From  this 
place  on  the  M.  &  C.  R.  R.  a  single  track  line  of  railroad  ran  to 
Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  Vicksburg.  It  was  by  this  line  that 
Grant  had  to  feed  and  clothe  his  troops,  and  bring  his  munitions  of 
war  as  he  advanced.  Lieu  tenant-General  J.  C.  Pemberton  succeed- 
ed Van  Dom  (who,  however,  remained),  soon  after  the  Corinth  af- 
fair, and  fortified  a  line  of  defense  along  the  Tallahatchie,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Wyatt  and  Abbeville,  Mississippi.  Sherman 
came  down  from  Memphis,  and  as  Grant  was  about  to  flank 
Pemberton,  the  latter  fell  back  without  a  struggle,  so  that  by 
the  5th  of  December  Grant  was  at  Oxford  and  his  cavalry 
within  eighteen  miles  of  Grenada.  Sherman,  about  the  8th  of 
December,  was  sent  back  to  Memphis  to  organize  a  river  expedi- 
tion against  Vicksburg,  as  we  shall  see,  in  co-operation  with 
Grant's  own  advance  against  that  stronghold  by  land. 

But  while  Grant  was  aiTanging  for  his  own  advance,  Sher- 
man embarked  on  the  nineteenth  and  steamed  down  the  river  to 
Helena,  Arkansas,  where,  on  the  twenty-first,  Curtis'  troops  un- 
der Steele  joined  him  for  the  joint  objective. 

December  20,  Van  Dorn's  cavalry  destroyed  Grant's  immense 
accumulation  of  stores  at  Holly  Springs,  Mississippi,  and  with- 
out much  resistance  captured  its  sraryison,  commanded  by  the 
same  Colonel  Murphy  who,  a  few  months  previous,  evacuated 
luka  to  Price,  and  who  was  dismissed  from  the  service  for  his 
misconduct  at  Holly  Springs,  which  seems  too  easy  a  sentence 
for  his  great  neglect.  Van  Dorn  also  struck  the  communications 
higher  up,  meeting  determined  resistance  at  Coldwater,  Davis 
Mills,  Bolivar  and  Middleburg:  Forrest  at  the  same  time  was  on 
the  railroad  in  Tennessee.  These  blows  determined  Grant,  who 
was  unused  as  yet  to  feeding  his  army  oflf  the  country,  to  return 
17 


258  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

northward  and  try  the  river  route.  But  the  lines  of  telegraph 
were  so  badly  destroyed  that  it  took  about  two  weeks  to  reopen 
them,  and  Grant,  having  already  planned  another  route  for  his 
entire  army,  determined  to  evacuate  the  railroad  north  of  Jack- 
son, but  hold  the  line  from  Memphis  to  Corinth.  Having  al- 
ready given  a  sufficient  outline  of  military  events  under  Grant 
to  indicate  the  importance  of  his  undertakings  and  the  conse- 
quence of  Sherman's  co-operation,  we  will  now  inquire  more 
particularly,  what  occurred  in  this  district,  of  interest  to  the  te- 
legraphers as  such. 

Although  we  have  mentioned  the  building  of  a  line  to  Grand 
Junction,  it  had  to  be  rebuilt,  and  October  11,  orders  were  issued 
by  Grant  therefor.  Offices  were  opened  at  Midway,  Pocahontas 
and  Grand  Junction.  Sol  Palmer,  assisted  by  Mark  Grain,  Ed 
Schermerhorn,  H.  C.  Weller  and  J.  S.  Burlingame,  foremen, 
rebuilt  all  the  lines  required  by  Grant  during  Van  Duzer's  man- 
agement in  Mississippi  and  West  Tennessee.  Grant's  office  at 
Jackson  was  closed  at  noon  of  November  3,  and  opened  at 
Grand  Junction  the  fourth,  and  later  at  La  Grange.  Van  Duzer 
was  directed  to  send  all  the  operators  he  could  to  the  front, 
wherefore,  all  left  Corinth  except  A.  J.  Howell  and  C.  H.  B.  Gile, 
new  men,  and  Tony  Walsh.  Some  of  the  offices  were  closed  or  their 
force  reduced,  so  that  Schermerhorn,  Grain,  Johnson  (B.  H.), 
Sullivan,  Beckwith,  Skinner,  Parsons,  Hill,  Ingle,  Nichols,  Som- 
erville,  Hawkins,  Spellman,  O'Neil  and  Lewis  were  at  Grand 
Junction  or  near  by,  and  J.  S.  Lyle,  Jacob  Y.  Hill,  E.  B.  Grif- 
fin, D.  K.  Smith,  Ellis  Stone,  J.  W.  Atwell  and  C.  W.  Pierson 
were  newly  employed  on  these  lines. 

Redington,  at  Medon,  and  Lenox,  at  Bolivar,  appear  to  have 
fallen  under  suspicion  of  being  disloyal,  but  the  former,  as  we 
understand,  was  released  from  prison  at  Memphis  and  sent  to 
Fort  Donelson  office,  positive  evidence  of  his  innocence ;  and  as 
to  Lenox,  a  journal  of  that  period,  kept  by  an  able  operator, 
reads  as  follows:  "He  was  arrested  at  Bolivar  for  disloyalty, 
and  ordered  out  of  this  military  district  within  three  days. 
Ihat  he  is  really  disloyal^  no  one  helieves;  "  but  it  was  one  of 
the  misfortunes  of  an  operator's  position  that  he  could  not  have 
a  court-martial.  A.  D.  Dougherty,  operator  at  Smithland,  was 
removed  in  1863  on  charges  affecting  his  character,  and  though 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  259 


he  protested  bitterly  against  such  action  without  a  fair  hearing, 
there  was  no  such  privilege  granted  him.  Such  rights  were  not 
secured  to  civilians  in  any  of  the  departments. 

One  night  about  the  last  of  October,  a  Confederate  general 
and  colonel,  whose  homes  were  at  Bolivar,  it  is  said,  visited  their 
families  there.  A  negro  servant  of  one  of  them  informed  the 
operator,  J.  T.  Tiffany,  of  their  presence,  whereupon  he  took  a 
squad  of  soldiers  and  surrounded  and  captured  the  officers,  who 
were  taken  to  General  Logan  at  Jackson.  But  as  the  story  reads 
that  these  high  officers  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  were 
released,  it  should  be  taken  cum  grano  salis. 

September  5,  the  following  was  telegraphed  to  all  operators  : 

Walter  Campbell,  an  operator,  formerly  connected  with  this  line, 
is  suspected  of  making  use  of  his  privileges,  as  an  operator,  to  the 
detriment  of  the  service.  He  must  be  entirely  excluded  from  offi- 
ces, and  if  he  loiters  about  v^ithin  hearing  of  the  instruments,  you 
will  make  the  case  known  to  the  officer  in  command,  that  he  may  be 
removed  or  arrested.  (Signed)         J.  C.  VanDuzer,  Supt. 

This  order  doubtless  originated  from  Tiffany's  arrest  by  Gen- 
eral Ross,  for  allowing  a  Southern  operator  to  come  into  the  tel- 
egraph office.  Tiffany  was  kept  in  the  old  court-house  until 
General  McClernand  heard  of  it,  when  he  ordered  Ross  to  release 
him  at  once.  Probably  Ross's  fears  were  unwarranted  by  the 
facts. 

The  cotton  fever,  in  West  Tennessee,  ran  high,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence many  civilians  had,  on  one  pretext  or  another,  obtained 
passes  to  the  cotton  localities  within  the  Union  lines.  These 
speculators  did  so  much  telegraphing  that  General  Grant,  on  the 
11th  of  November,  directed  that  no  private  business  be  done  till 
further  orders.  This  was  subsequently  modified  so  as  to  allow 
it  a  few  certain  hours  each  day. 

When  the  troops  advanced  southward  from  Grand  Junction, 
B.  H.  Johnson,  operator,  accompanied  Colonel  Pride,  Grant's 
Chief  of  Engineers.  Johnson's  first  office  below,  was  in  a  tent 
at  Lamar,  Avhere  Colonel  Bissell's  engineers  were  building  a 
bridge.  While  here,  the  operator  went  foraging  with  some  sol- 
diers, and,  having  reached  their  destination,  near  ten  miles  out, 
the  foragers  were  busy  cutting  up  fresh  pork  and  catching  chick- 


260  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

ens,  when  a  negro,  mounted  on  a  mule,  came  tearing  down  a 
hill;  yelling  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "De  grillas  is  after  youens, 
jest  over  de  hill  thar."  All  of  the  party,  except  one,  mounted 
and  spurred  homeward,  Johnson  in  the  van,  until  the  camp  was 
reached.  If  it  was  not  on  this  ride,  it  ought  to  have  been,  for, 
at  one  time  or  another,  in  this  vicinage,  owing  to  some  fault  in 
the  horse,  or  perhaps  the  stirrups  were  too  short  or  Johnson's 
legs  too  long,  in  short,  anything  compatible  with  good  horseman- 
ship, the  hind  bow  of  his  Mexican  saddle  cut  a  «^m^-circular  slit 
in  the  seat  of  his  pants,  and  made  him  sit  standing  for  a  week. 
After  all,  he  fared  much  better  than  the  forager  left  behind,  for 
he  was  captured  and  shot. 

Pending  Grant's  retrograde  movement,  Johnson,  who  was 
dressed  in  all  the  paraphernalia  of  rank,  except  shoulder-straps, 
went  to  the  seminary  building,  at  Oxford,  where  he  was  then 
stationed,  to  appease  his  hunger.  About  thirty  soldiers  were 
there,  and,  being  on  their  retreat,  recked  little  what  they  did, 
consequently  they  were  eating  the  pretty  schoolma'ams  and 
misses  "  out  of  house  and  home."  Johnson  took  in  the  situation 
at  a  glance,  and,  assuming  to  be  bigger  than  a  brigadier,  ordered 
the  soldiers  to  repair  at  once  to  their  regiment,  which  they  did. 
The  young  ladies  thereupon,  out  of  gratitude,  treated  him  to  a 
fine  dinner.  That  same  afternoon,  while  standing  about  his  in- 
strument with  his  coat  ofi",  thus  exposing  the  half  moon  patch  on 
his  pants,  proof  positive  that  he  was  not  the  great  Mogul  he  had 
appeared  at  the  seminary,  some  of  the  soldiers  whom  he  had 
driven  away,  rushed  in  at  the  door  after  Johnson,  swearing 
vengeance  as  he  bolted  through  the  window  and  fled  to  the  resi- 
dence of  Secretary  Fox,  of  the  Confederate  Cabinet,  where  were 
General  McPherson's  h^ad-quarters. 

Scouts  reported  VanDorn's  and  Forrest's  threatening  move- 
ments in  ample  time  to  enable  Grant  to  notify  all  the  post  com- 
mandants thereof,  which  he  did  promptly,  by  telegraph,  but  he 
especially  warned  Murphy,  at  Holly  Springs,  to  prepare  for  Van 
Dorn,  and  Sullivan,  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  to  look  out  for  Forrest. 
Notwithstanding,  as  we  have  seen,  VanDorn,  at  day-break, 
entered  the  place,  almost  unopposed.  The  telegraph  office  was 
at  once  visited.  Operator  Horace  W.  Nichols  was  at  his  instru- 
ment.    Hearing  stray  shots  and  discovering  the  rapid  approach 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  261 

of  the  enemy,  he  hurriedly  thrust  his  dispatches  into  the  fire, 
and  his  money  into  his  boot  leg,  and  then  seizing  the  telegraph 
key,  called  Grant's  office  and  said :  "  Good  by.  VanDorn  is 
coming.  Devil  only  knows  what  '11  become  of  me.  Here  they 
are,  now,"  and,  sure  enough,  they  stood  just  by  the  wind®w 
where  his  instrument  was,  covering  him  with  revolvers,  so  that 
he  was  prevented  from  saying  more.  Lew.  Spellman,  from 
Grant's  office,  and  Sol.  Palmer  took  a  hand-car  and  repaired  the 
line,  which  was  in  operation  to  Grand  Junction  twenty-four  hours 
after  it  was  cut  in  the  office  at  Holly  Springs. 

General  Forrest,  having  recently  returned  to  Columbia, 
Tenn.,  from  his  bold  exploits  upon  Buell's  communications, 
crossed  the  Tennessee  at  Clifton,  but  was  met  near  Lexington 
by  an  inferior  force  of  Federals,  sent  by  Sullivan  from  Jackson, 
Tenn. ,  and  after  a  struggle,  quite  determined,  it  was  driven  back, 
thus  enabling  Forrest  to  threaten  Jackson  itself  two  days  before 
VanDorn  entered  Holly  Springs.  Jackson  being  strongly 
■defended,  Forrest  contented  himself  with  striking,  at  night,  the 
railroads  leading  therefrom,  and  the  next  day  he  took  the  Spring 
Creek  road  for  Humboldt  and  Trenton.  Grant  had  given  orders 
that  all  commandants  should  hold  their  positions  "  at  all  hazards," 
and  this  all  seem  to  have  valiantly  endeavored  to  do,  as  far  on 
the  road  to  Columbus  as  Forrest  dared  to  penetrate,  but  he  cap- 
tured many  small  commands  and  telegraphers  along  his  route, 
besides  destroying  the  telegraph  badly  and  burning  miles  of 
railroad  trestle-work  along  the  bottoms  of  the  Obion.  Humboldt 
and  Trenton  fell  on  the  20th  of  December ;  Kenton  and  some 
stockades,  the  next  day,  and  Union  City  the  twenty-second.  By 
this  time,  Forrest  was  himself  in  great  straits,  but  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  eluding  the  Federal  infantry  and  recrossing  the  Ten- 
nessee at  Clifton  after  being  badly  worsted  at  Perry ville,  on  the 
river. 

J.  C.  Holdridge,  operator  at  Humboldt,  had  his  office  in  the 
hotel,  of  which  he  was  also  landlord.  On  the  nineteenth,  he  re- 
ported to  Cairo  that  the  line  was  cut  at  five,  A.  m.  ,  eight  miles 
north  of  Jackson,  and  in  the  afternoon  that  he  could  hear  firing 
in  that  direction.  The  next  we  hear  of  John,  he  was  at  Kenton 
and  his  hotel  property  had  been  destroyed.  At  three,  p.  m.  ,  of 
the  twentieth,  J.  S.  Lyle,  who  remained  at  his  post  at  Trenton, 


262  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

to  the  last,  telegraphed  to  the  Northern  offices  :  "  The  rebs  are 
in  sight  and  the  fun  has  commenced  ; "  then  the  line  was  cut, 
but  Lyle  collected  his  dispatches  and  threw  them  with  his  instru- 
ments into  the  office  stove,  where  they  were  destroyed.  Of  course 
Lyle  was  captured.  At  Kenton,  Holdridge  was  captured  about 
four,  A.M.,  with  his  Humboldt  instruments,  which  he  could  not 
destroy,  as  he  was  taken  by  surprise,  and  soldiers  stood  over 
him,  threatening  to  shoot  if  he  attempted  it.  Stephen  Robinson, 
a  small  boy  operated  at  Kenton,  where  three  companies  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Illinois  infantry  were  stationed. 
His  office  was  on  the  Trenton  side  of  the  town,  and  the  com- 
manding officer  agreed  not  to  leave  without  letting  him  know, 
but  the  enemy  were  in  the  place,  and  the  infantry  -out,  before 
Robinson  discovered  his  peril.  He  then  wrapped  his  shawl 
around  his  instrument  and  walked  away.  He  was  too  little  to 
attract  attention.  Crossing  the  Obion  trestle  alone  that  dark 
night,  he  connected  his  instrument  near  Crocket  and  telegraphed 
the  situation  to  Columbus.  A  train  of  cars  sent  out,  was 
stopped  by  a  fire  built  on  the  track  by  negroes,  and  the  infantry, 
contrabands  and  operator,  safely  taken  to  Columbus.  Augus- 
tus Tyrrill  was  captured  at  Union  City,  and  Wallace  W.  Forbes 
somewhere  between  Columbus  and  Jackson. 

On  the  very  day  that  Forrest  began  his  retreat,  W.  G.  Ful- 
ler, late  of  West  Virginia,  and  Central  Kentucky,  arrived  with 
Captain  Bruch  at  Cairo  whei^e,  for  reasons  which  we  will  soon 
explain,  he  was  duly  installed  as  chief  officer,  under  Bruch,  of  the 
Corps  in  Grant's  district,  now  designated  department. 

William  Greenleaf  Fuller,  one  of  the  most  conscientious 
of  men,  was  one  of  seven  children — all  under  fifteen — left  by 
the  death  of  their  father  in  South  Carolina  in  1838,  to  be  sup- 
ported by  their  widowed  mother.  His  ancestry  was  of  New 
England's  best,  being  in  part,  of  that  from  which  John  Green- 
leaf  Whittier  was  sprung.  On  the  demise  of  her  husband,  Mrs. 
Fuller  returned  to  Massachusetts,  where  with  her  scanty  means 
she  sought  to  rear  her  family.  How  well  she  succeeded  may  be 
conjectured  from  the  fact  that  she  (now  eighty-two  years  old) 
and  all  of  them  are  still  living.  William,  born  in  1827,  at  nine- 
teen, began  work  in  a  factory  at  Lowell,  but,  owing  to  ill  health 
he  was  induced  to  ship  as  a  fireman  on  the  United  States  steamer 


CIVIL   WAK   IN  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


263 


"Mississippi,"  fitting  for  a  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 
War  with  Mexico  threatened  and  the  steamer  went  to  the  Gulf. 
He  could  not  stand  the  heat  of  the  furnace  and  was  made  assis- 
tant Ship's  Yeoman.  While  at  Vera  Cruz,  war  was  declared, 
and  the  "Mississippi"  steamed  to  Point  Isabel,  where  her  force 
volunteered  to  reinforce  General  Taylor  of  the  United  States 
Army.  Taylor  was  met  just  after  his  second  victory  at  Resaca 
de  la  Palma.  Returning  thence  to  the  steamer,  which  was  the 
flag  ship  of  Commodore  Perry,  Fuller  participated  in  exploits 

and  attacks  alone:  the 
Mexican  coast,  especi- 
ally at  Tampico,  Vera 
Cruz,  Alvarado,  and  To- 
basco  up  the  Tobasco 
River. 

On  the  return  of  the 
"  Mississippi  "  in  1847, 
Fuller  learned  that  his 
mother  had  procured 
his  discharge  on  ac- 
count of  his  minority. 
Thereupon,  he  began 
learning  the  art  of  tele- 
graphy. His  first  em- 
ployment as  operator 
was  by  F.  O.  J.  Smith, 
an  accomplished  states- 
man, a  learned  jurist  and  pioneer  in  telegraph  aflfairs,  and  Eli- 
phalet  Case,  on  the  New  Orleans  and  Ohio  line,  at  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  in  1848.  He  served  also,  at  New  Richmond  and 
Marietta,  Ohio,  which  latter  office,  under  his  administration, 
was  the  only  one  on  the  line  that  paid  more  than  expenses.  In 
1854  the  company  failed.  The  Ohio  stockholders  re-organized, 
and  Hon.  Y.  B.  Horton,  of  Pomeroy,  selected  Fuller  as  superin- 
tendent of  that  portion  between  Wheeling,  Va.  and  Cincinnati. 
When  the  Marietta  (&  Cincinnati  Railroad  was  constructed,  Mr. 
Fuller  rebuilt  the  lines  over  that  route.  In  1857,  the  Hon. 
Amos  Kendall  arranged  with  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  and  Marietta 
&    Cmcinnati    Railroad   companies,    for    an    mdependent    line 


WILLIAM   G.  FULLER. 


264  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

between  Baltimore  and  Cincinnati.  Fuller  laid  the  cable  at 
Parkersburg  and  constructed  the  line  thence  to  Cincinnati,  where 
an  office  was  opened  in  the  Burnett  House.  At  the  beginning 
of  hostilities  between  the  States,  Mr.  Fuller  was  superintendent 
of  the  Marietta  &  Cincinnati  Railroad  line  and  the  w^estern  divi- 
sion of  the  Independent  Company's  line.  These  responsible 
positions  he  was  quick  to  surrender  for  service  where  he  felt  he 
could  do  more  good  to  his  country.  No  officer  of  the  Telegraph 
Corps  proved  more  intensely  solicitous  to  forward  the  cause  of  the 
Union  than  William  G.  Fuller,  and  he  probably  constructed  as 
many  miles  of  military  telegraph  as  any  other  person. 

General  Grant  had  already  become  convinced  that  he  could 
not  maintain  his  railroads  and  telegraphs,  and  the  indications 
were  anything  but  assuring  to  Captain  Fuller.  However,  he 
entered  vigorously  upon  his  work,  and  by  the  3d  of  January, 
the  line  from  Cairo  to  Grant's  head-quarters  at  Holly  Springs, 
and  by  the  8th  of  January,  the  newly  repaired  line  from 
Grand  Junction  to  Memphis,  were  in  complete  working  order. 
Ed.  Schermerhorn,  a  reckless,  daring  nondescript,  convivially 
inclined,  but  one  of  the  most  expert  operators  in  the  country, 
was  in  charge  of  a  gang  of  builders  on  the  Memphis  line  about 
the  1st  of  January,  when  all  were  captured  by  guerrillas,  under 
one  Richardson.  The  builders'  names  are  T.  Berry,  J.  W.  Berry, 
C.  D.  Applegate,  A.  E.  Atwell,  C.  D.  Walker  and  George 
Bishop.  Nearly  all  of  these  men  and  those  captured  north  of 
Jackson,  were  paroled,  some  not  to  re-enter  the  Confederacy,  and 
others  not  to  act  as  Federal  operators  during  the  war.  They 
arrived  at  Cairo  about  the  same  time  that  E.  F.  Butler  did,  he 
having  had  the  misfortune  while  operating  at  Henderson,  Tenn., 
late  in  November,  to  be  captured  by  guerrillas,  who  burned  the 
station  and  telegraph  property,  and  took  Butler  to  Forrest  at 
Columbia,  Tenn.,  where  he  was  released  on  his  promise  not  to 
return  to  Tennessee.  All  of  the  soldiers  captured  by  Van  Dorn 
and  Forrest  were  also  paroled. 

Exciting  as  were  the  raids  of  Van  Dorn  and  Forrest,  to  the 
telegraphers  in  Grant's  department,  they  were  not  so  demoraliz- 
ing to  the  Corps  as  the  move  of  the  Federal  commander  himself, 
which  was  initiated  on  the  13th  of  November,  1862,  by 
his  appointing  Colonel  John  Riggin,  of  his  staff,  superintendent 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  265 

of  the  military  telegraph  lines  in  the  department.  That  was  an 
exercise  of  power  foi  which  there  were  the  precedents  of 
McClellan's  appointment  of  Mr.  Stager  in  West  Virginia,  and 
Fremont's  of  G.  H.  Smith  in  Missouri,  with  this  important  dif- 
ference :  that  since  those  appointments  the  Telegraph  Corps  had 
been  organized,  as  heretofore  explained,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Secretary  of  War,  who,  on  the  8th  of  April,  1862,  issued 
an  order — ''No.  38" — substantially  like  that  shown  in  special 
order,  number  three  hundred  and  thirteen,  on  page  one  hundred 
and  thirty.  A  few  months  later,  the  following  order  was  issued  : 

Head-quarters  Army  or  the  Mississippi,  ) 
In  the  Field,  Corinth,  July  14th,  1862.        ) 

Special  Field  Order^  No.  156. 

Telegraph  operators  and  employes  are,  as  a  general  rule,  sub- 
ject only  to  the  ofEcers  of  their  own  corps  or  orders  communicated 
through  them  by  the  Secretary  of  War  or  commanding  general  of 
the  department.  Where  an  officer  commanding  a  post  or  force  in 
the  field,  deems  it  necessary  to  close  or  move  a  telegraph  station, 
or  to  arrest  or  remove  an  operator,  the  reasons  for  so  doing  will  be 
immediately  communicated  to  head-quarters  for  approval.  Military 
telegrams  will  always  have  preference  and  when  the  business  of 
military  lines  cannot,  in  the  opinion  of  the  superintendent,  be  other- 
wise properly  attended  to,  commercial  and  private  telegrams  will 
be  excluded.  The  commanders  of  posts  and  stations  will  assign 
quarters  for  telegraph  offices,  and  will  see  that  all  unauthorized 
persons  are  entirely  excluded  from  operating  rooms  and  their 
vicinity. 

By  order  of  Major  General  Halleck. 

N.  H.  McLean,  A.  A.  G. 

It  is  believed  that  General  Grant  did  not  design  to  relieve 
Van  Duzer  by  this  appointment,  but  merely  to  place  the  over- 
sight of  telegraphic  affairs  in  Riggin's  hands.  Colonel  Riggin 
was  not  a  practical  telegrapher,  and  although  an  accomplised 
officer  and  gentleman,  he  did  not  understand  the  duties  of  his 
new  position,  and  hence,  it  may  be,  he  gave  but  few  orders;  even 
those  were  inoffensive.  But,  as  was  his  duty.  Van  Duzer  in- 
formed his  superiors  of  the  new  status^  which  information  re- 
sulted immediately  in  the  following  telegraphic  correspondence  : 


266  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

Washington,  November  14,  1862. 

To  U.  S.  Grant,  Major  General : 

Some  one,  signing  himself,  "John  Riggin,  Superintendent  of 
Military  Telegraphs,"  is  interfering  with  the  management  of  tele- 
graphs in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  This  man  is  acting  without 
the  authority  of  Colonel  Stager,  general  superintendent  of  military 
telegraphs  —  see  general  order  No.  38,  April,  1862 — ^and  is  an  im- 
poster.  Arrest  him  and  send  him  north  of  your  department  before 
he  does  mischief  by  his  interference. 

By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War.         P.  H.  Watson, 

Asst.  Sec.  of  War, 

To  which  General  Grant  replied  as  follows  ; 

John  Riggin,  referred  to  in  your  despatch,  is  my  aide.  He  has 
given  but  one  order  referring  to  telegraphing,  and  that  was  dic- 
tated by  me.  It  was,  that  private  despatches  might  be  sent  over 
the  wires  before  ten  o'clock,  a.  m.,  when  they  did  not  interfere  with 
military  despatches.  Colonel  Riggin  is  assigned  the  duty  of  mili- 
tary superintendent  of  telegraphs  within  this  department,  a  position 
which  interferes  with  no  present  arrangement,  but  is  intended 
solely  for  my  relief.     Misrepresentations  must  have  been  made. 

And  thereupon  Assistant  Secretary  Watson  rejoined : 

Colonel  Anson  Stager  having  been  appointed  by  the  Secretary 
of  War,  superintendent  of  military  telegraphs  and  of  the  construc- 
tion and  management  of  military  lines.  Colonel  Riggin  must  not 
interfere.  Colonel  Stager  has  appointed  deputies,  believed  to  be 
competent,  but  if  they  fail  in  their  duty  a  report  of  the  fact  to  Col- 
onel Stager  will  bring  a  prompt  removal. 

It  was  soon  found  convenient  to  entrust  Colonel  Riggin  with 
special  duty  at  Memphis,  and  Van  Duzer  was  directed  to  prepare 
to  restore  the  line  from  Grand  Junction  to  Memphis  and  from 
Memphis  to  Grenada. 

The  conflict  of  authority  appears  to  have  become  quiescent, 
and  so  it  remained  until  the  30th  of  November,  when  the  opera- 
tor at  Holly  Springs,  who  had  that  day  opened  that  office,  aston- 
ished all  the  operators  in  the  department  by  the  startling 
announcement  that  Van  Duzer  had  been  arrested  and  placed  in 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE  UNITED   STATES.  267 

the  guard-house  at  that  place.  General  Grant  telegraphed  Colo- 
nel Stager  that  Van  Duzer  must  be  removed  and  another  man  be 
appointed  in  his  place,  and  that  his  (Grant's)  orders  must  be 
obeyed.  Just  what  the  disobedience,  if  any,  consisted  of,  we 
are  not  sufficiently  advised  to  state.  Assistant  Secretary  Wat- 
son directed  General  Grant  to  telegraph  his  charges  against  Van 
Duzer  to  the  War  Department.  Although  they  were  preferred, 
no  trial  was  ever  had,  and  it  is  believed  that  General  Grant  was 
himself  subsequently  convinced  that  he  had  been  deceived  by 
his  chief  operator,  Ira  G.  Skinner.  Van  Duzer's  confinement 
for  four  days  was  so  close  that  no  operator  was  allowed  to  com- 
municate with  him.  Colonel  Riggin  again  appeared  on  the 
scene,  directing  Gross,  manager  at  Cairo,  to  keep  supplies  on 
hand  and  order  what  was  required  from  the  East.  This  was 
promptly  countermanded  by  Colonel  Stager.  Gross  advised  the 
operators  to  continue  to  discharge  their  duties,  notwithstanding 
their  devotion  to  Van  Duzer,  as  otherwise  the  consequences 
to  the  armies  might  be  very  injurious  ;  moreover,  he  believed 
Van  Duzer  would  be  sustained.  But  the  operators  were  bent  on 
asserting  the  independence  of  the  Corps.  Grant  heard  of  their 
purposes,  and  issued  an  order  to  every  commander  of  his  mili- 
tary posts  along  the  lines  to  arrest  every  telegraph  operator  that 
resigned  or  attempted  to  leave  his  post  or  refused  to  do  duty  as 
theretofore,  and  place  him  under  close  confinement  and  to  ac- 
knowledge, the  receipt  of  the  order  by  telegraph.  Somerville 
at  Waterford  was  arrested,  probably  for  refusing  to  serve,  but 
most,  if  not  all,  of  the  others  submitted  with  the  best  possible 
grace.  Van  Duzer  was  ordered  out  of  the  department,  under 
guard.  December  5,  General  Halleck  telegraphed  General 
Grant  at  Abbeville  as  follows  : 

The  Secretary  of  War  has  called  my  attention  to  your  tele- 
graphic despatches  in  regard  to  operators  and  offices.  Colonel  Sta- 
ger was  charged  by  the  President,  under  a  law*  of  Congress,  with 
the  entire  management  of  military  telegraphic  operations.  He  di- 
rects all  purchases  and  appoints  and  removes  all  officers  under  the 
direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  If  any  operator  fails  in  his 
duty  report  him  for  removal.  In  extreme  cases  he  may  be  arrested, 
just  as  you  can  arrest  any  officer  of  the  Navy  or  the  Treasury  De- 

♦There  was  no  such  law. 


268  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

partment.  Colonel  Stager  directs  all  telegraphic  purchases.  In 
case  of  deficiencies,  report  the  fact  and  do  not  order  purchases. 
They  can  not  be  paid  for  out  of  the  Quarter-master's  Department. 
Any  orders  to  that  effect  given  by  you  will  be  immediately  counter- 
manded. ♦ 

By  the  time  that  Van  Duzer  reached  Grand  Junction,  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  McDermot,  commanding  there,  received  an  or- 
der from  the  Secretary  of  War,  directing  his  release.  But 
McDermot,  either  believing  or  feigning  to  believe  that  the 
order  was  bogus,  declined  to  obey  it.  It  is  proper  here  to  state 
that  this  is  the  only  instance  known  to  the  author  of  the  genu- 
ineness of  a  telegraphic  order  being  questioned  by  a  military  of 
ficer  during  the  whole  war,  except  when  there  were  reasons  to 
believe  it  was  telegraphed  by  rebel  operators.  After  Van 
Duzer  reached  Cairo,  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  by  Secretary 
Stanton  to  precipitate  a  crisis  by  ordering  his  return.  Had  that 
order  been  given.  General  Grant  might  have  asked  to  be  re- 
lieved. After  a  time.  Van  Duzer  was  given  the  management  of 
the  telegraphs  under  Bruch  in  the  Department  of  the  Cumber- 
land and  an  honorary  staff  appointment  with  General  Kosecrans, 
and  Fuller,  as  we  have  seen,  succeeded  Van  Duzer  in  West 
Tennessee.  When  Grant's  department  subsequently  included 
the  Cumberland  and  he  appeared  at  Chattanooga,  Captain  Bruch 
proposed  to  send  Van  Duzer  back  to  West  Tennessee  and  bring 
Fuller  therefrom.  But  Van  Duzer  determined  upon  resigning 
rather  than  to  be  sent  from  pillar  to  post ;  however.  General 
Grant,  if  he  ever  entertained  any  personal  feeling  against  Van 
Duzer,  was  just  enough,  probably  owing  to  additional  informa- 
tion obtained  in  the  interim,  and  also  in  consideration  of  his 
valuable  services  under  Kosecrans,  to  again  entrust  him  with  his 
fullest  confidence,  which,  it  is  certain,  General  Grant  never  had 
occasion  to  regret. 

One  other  unfortunate  conflict  culminated  the  very  day  of 
Captain  Fuller's  appointment,  above  mentioned,  and  it  may 
have  had  some  connection  therewith.  It  grew  out  of  the  follow- 
ing order : 

Cleveland,  November  13,  1862. 

To  ALL  Telegraph  Offices    : 

A  strict  observance  of  the  following  order  is  required  :    The 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  269 

original  copy  of  every  telegram  sent  by  any  military  or  other  gov- 
ernment officer  must  be  retained  by  the  telegraph  manager  or 
operator  and  be  carefully  filed,  and  at  the  end  of  the  month,  mailed 
to  the  War  Department  at  Washington.  You  will  retain  a  copy  of 
all  such  messages.  In  no  case  will  you  allow  the  original  ciphers 
to  be  given  up  or  destroyed,  except  to  prevent  their  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy. 

By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War. 

(Signed,)         R.  P.  Wade,  Capt.  and  A.  Q,  M. 
and  Asst.  Supt.  Govt.  Telegraphs. 

On  the  Sth  of  January,  1863,  Captain  Fuller  reported  by  tele- 
graph to  General  Grant  for  duty,  and  on  the  same  day  his 
operators  informed  Fuller  that  General  Grant  had  "taken  pos- 
session of  yesterday's  business,"  and  the  General  himself 
telegraphed  : 

Whose  order  is  ir  that  originals  of  all  telegrams  passing  over 
military  lines  be  sent  to  Washington  ?  An  order  for  the  disposal 
of  military  telegrams  would  come  through  me  from  some  one  au- 
thorized to  give  me  orders.  Private  despatches  I  care  nothing 
about.  You  can  make  your  own  regulations  concerning  them. 
Answer,  sending  me  copy  of  order. 

To  which  Fuller  replied  that  the  order  referred  to,  was  embraced 
in  a  letter  of  instructions  originating  with  Colonel  Anson 
Stager,  General  Superintendent  of  Military  Telegraphs,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  As  this  reply  omitted  to  state  that  the  order 
emanated  from  the  Secretary  of  War,  it  was  quite  defective. 
General  Grant  thus  informed,  rejoined  : 

Colonel  Stager  has  no  authority  to  demand  the  originals  of 
military  despatches,  and  cannot  have  them.  I  keep  a  record  of  my 
despatches  and  destroy  the  originals.  I  appreciate  your  informing 
me  of  the  order  you  had  received  before  acting  upon  it.  Inform 
Colonel  Stager  that  he  transcends  his  authority  when  he  demands 
the  military  correspondence  taking  place  in  this  department. 

Just  what  the  purpose  of  the  order  was,  we  have  not  deemed 
it  important  to  inquire,  but  we  do  know  that  a  rule  obtained  in 
the  quarter-master's  department,  that  all  vouchers  covering  ex- 
penses of  telegraphing  should  have  attached  thereto,  the  mes- 
sages charged  for,  as  a  check  against  unnecessary  telegraphing. 


270  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

We  cannot,  however,  conceive  of  any  sufficient  reason  why  such 
an  order  should  include  messages  of  department  commanders, 
and  do  not  believe  that  it  was  originally  intended  so  to  do  ;  and 
this  belief  is  strengthened  by  the  understanding  that  no  attempt 
was  ever  made  to  enforce  it  against  them.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
it  is  in  virtue  of  that  order  that  the  War  Department  is  now  able 
to  print  (as  it  is  doing)  many  volumes  of  important  dispatches. 

We  left  Sherman  at  Memphis,  where  he  fitted  out  an  expedi- 
tion, to  be  composed  of  his  own  and  Steele's  forces,  to  be  con- 
voyed by  gunboats  and  conveyed  by  a  fleet  of  steamers  to  near 
Yicksburg.  The  following  telegram  is  a  concise  statement  of 
the  general  plan : 

Oxford,  December  8,  1862. 
Major  General  H.  W.  Halleck, 
Washington,  D.  C. : 

General  Sherman  will  command  the  expedition  down  the  Missis- 
sippi. He  will  have  a  force  of  about  forty  thousand  men  ;  will  land 
above  Vicksburg  (up  the  Yazoo,  if  practicable),  and  cut  the  Missis- 
sippi Central  road  and  the  road  running  east  from  Vicksburg,  where 
they  cross  Black  River.  I  will  co-operate  from  here,  my  movements 
depending  on  those  of  the  enemy.  With  the  large  cavalry  force 
now  at  my  command,  I  will  be  able  to  have  them  show  themselves 
at  different  points  on  the  Tallahatchie  and  Yalabusha,  and  when  an 
opportunity  occurs,  make  a  real  attack.  After  cutting  the  two  roads, 
General  Sherman's  movements,  to  secure  the  end  desired,  will 
necessarily  be  left  to  his  judgment.  I  will  occupy  this  road  to  Coffee- 
ville.  (Signed)  U.  S.  Grant,  Major  General. 

Concerning  General  Sherman's  movements,  in  his  "Memoirs," 
he  writes : 

The  preparations  were  necessarily  hasty  in  the  extreme,  but 
this  was  the  essence  of  the  whole  plan,  namely,  to  reach  Vicksburg, 
as  it  were,  by  surprise,  while  General  Grant  held  in  check  Pember- 
ton's  army  about  Grenada,  leaving  me  to  contend  only  with  the 
smaller  garrison  of  Vicksburg  and  its  well  known  strong  batteries 
and  defenses. 

Sherman  reached  Milliken's  Bend,  a  httle  above  Vicksburg, 
on  Christmas  day,  and  proceeded  vigorously  to  effectuate  his  in- 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE  UNITED   STATES.  271 

tended  surprise.  But  there  was  one  vastly  important  obstacle  to 
any  surprise,  of  which  Sherman  in  his  hasty  preparations  was 
doubtless  unadvised,  and  Steele  probably  was  also  ignorant  of  it. 
It  consisted  of  a  private  telegraph  line,  connecting  De  Sota,  La., 
opposite  Vicksburg,  with  Lake  Providence,  La.,  seventy-five 
miles  above  Vicksburg,  on  the  river.  This  line  was  built  by  Dr. 
Horace  B.  Tebbetts,  a  wealthy  planter,  on  one  of  whose  mag- 
nificent estates,  twelve  miles  below  Providence,  was  an  office, 
where  Lee  S.  Daniel  was  quasi  C.  S.  Military  telegrapher.  Maj. 
and  Supt.  E.  G.  Earnhart  also  resided  and  had  head-quarters 
on  the  plantation.  At  the  De  Sota  end,  Philip  H.  Fall  oper- 
ated. General  Martin  Luther  Smith,  commanding  Confed- 
erate forces  at  Vicksburg,  took  military  possession  of  this  line. 
It  became  the  duty  of  Fall,  who  lived  in  Vicksburg,  to  cross  the 
river  every  evening,  and  remain  in  his  office  until  morning.  For 
this  purpose  the  artillerists  at  Vicksburg  were  directed  to  respect 
bis  boat,  which  carried  a  green  light.  Smith's  purpose  in  all 
this  was  to  keep  advised  of  any  boats  passing  down  the  river,  as 
it  was  well  known  that  the  Federals  were  exceedingly  anxious  to 
capture  Vicksburg,  and  thus  at  a  stroke  sever  the  Confederacy 
and  free  that  mightiest  of  American  rivers.  On  Christmas  eve, 
about  eight  p.m.,  Earnhart  and  Daniel  were  playing  old  sledge 
at  Earnhart's  house,  when  they  heard  the  unusual  noise  of  the 
paddle-wheels  of  steamboats.  Leaving  their  cards,  they  stepped 
out  on  the  balcony  of  the  house  which  stood  on  an  angle  of  the 
river  and  presented  a  view  of  the  Mississippi  for  six  miles  above. 
This  whole  stretch  was  filled  with  boats,  descending  the  river. 
It  was  a  grand  and  portentous  spectacle. 

As  soon  as  Daniel  could  count  the  boats  and  gun-boats,  he 
mounted  his  horse  and  hastened  to  his  office,  three  miles  distant, 
where,  calling  De  Sota  office,  he  telegraphically  exclaimed : 
''Good  God,  Phil.  !  sixty-five  transports,  loaded  with  troops 
have  already  passed.  There  must  be  as  many  more,  for  hundreds 
of  lights  can  be  seen  up  the  river."  That  was  the  last  message 
sent  over  that  line  during  the  war,  as  the  next  morning 
Sherman's  troops  commenced  its  destruction.  At  Vicksburg, 
there  was  joy  and  revelling.  General  Smith  and  many  gayly 
uniformed  officers  were  tripping  to  the  music  of  Terpsichore. 
Mississippi  "had  gathered  there  her  beauty  and  her  chivalry." 


272  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

Fall  reported  to  Smith  at  the  ball,  and  noticed  his  teeth  clench 
and  his  face  grow  ashen.  In  a  moment  Smith  and  his  staff  dis- 
appeared; "Then  and  there  was  hurrying  to  and  fro,  *  * 
and  mounting  in  hot  haste,"  and  within  ten  minutes  not  a  dancer 
was  left  of  all  that  gay  throng ;  but  before  they  reached  their 
homes,  President  Davis,  in  Richmond,  Pemberton,  at  Grenada, 
and  other  Confederate  officials,  were  advised  by  telegraph  of  the 
impending  danger  to  Vicksburg — by  far  the  most  important 
point  to  the  Confederacy  in  the  West.  Who  shall  say  that  Sher- 
man's failure  to  take  Vicksburg  by  driving  the  enemy  from 
Chickasaw  Bluffs,  where  Sherman  was  repulsed  with  a  loss  of 
one  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  forty-eight  men  killed, 
wounded  and  prisoners  on  the  29th  of  December,  was  not  due 
to  that  telegraphic  report,  which  enabled  Smith  and  Stephen  D. 
Lee  to  concentrate  rapidly  by  rail  a  force  which,  behind  works, 
Sherman  could  not  dislodge.  In  his  "Memoirs,"  General  Sher- 
man says  : 

From  our  camps  at  Chickasaw,  we  could  hear  the  whistles  of 
trains  arriving  at  Vicksburg;  could  see  battalions  of  men  marching 
up  towards  Haine's  Bluff,  and  taking  post  at  all  outposts  on  our 
front.  I  was  more  than  convinced  that  heavy  reinforcements  were 
coming  to  Vicksburg,  whether  from  Pemberton  at  Grenada,  Bragg 
in  Tennessee,  or  from  other  sources,  I  could  not  tell. 

Abandoning  this  enterprise  for  the  present,  by  the  2d  of  Janu- 
ary all  of  Sherman's  troops  had  re-embarked,  and  under  the  or- 
ders of  McClernand,  who  had  arrived  and  on  the  fourth  assumed 
command,  the  fleet  steamed  up  the  Mississippi  and  Arkansas 
rivers  to  Arkansas  Post,  which  was  captured  on  the  eleventh, 
and  with  it  over  six  thousand  of  the  enemy.  By  the  twenty- 
first  all  of  these  forces  again  debarked  at  Milliken's  Bend  to 
await  the  coming  of  General  Grant. 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  273 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE  TELEGRAPH  IN  TENNESSEE  AND  KENTUCKY.— FOR- 
REST'S,  WOODWARD'S  AND  MORGAN'S  RAIDS.— BUELL'S 
ARMY  RETIRES  TO  KENTUCKY.— CUMBERLAND  GAP 
EVACUATED.— RICHMOND  (KY.)— NUMEROUS  INCIDENTS. 
— PERRYVILLE.— ROSECRANS  SUPERSEDES  BUELL.— NASH- 
VILLE  AFFAIRS.—  STONE  RIVER.— EXCITEMENT  IN  NASH- 
VILLE.— MORGAN  AGAIN  IN  KENTUCKY.— SPIES  HUNG. 
—  OPERATORS    TAP    CONFEDERATE    TELEGRAPHS. 


We  left  General  Buell  and  his  army  en  route^  in  June  and 
July,  1862,  for  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  repairing  the  Memphis 
&  Charleston  Railroad  as  he  progressed.  General  Braxton 
Bragg  was  directed  by  Confederate  authorities  to  concentrate 
opposing  forces  at  Chattanooga.  These  began  to  move  thereto 
from  Mississippi  and  elsewhere,  simultaneously  with  Buell's. 

Before  entering  upon  the  story  of  the  great  marches  and 
countermarches  of  the  Federal  and  Confederate  forces  in  Ten- 
nessee and  Kentucky,  we  will  discover  the  bold  exploits  of 
Generals  Forrest  and  Woodward  and  Colonel  John  H.  Morgan 
upon  Buell's  communications  in  those  States.  Although  the 
railroad  from  Nashville  to  Stevenson  was  not  completed  until 
July  28,  nor  the  Nashville  &  Decatur  road  until  August  3,  yet 
both  were  repaired  many  miles  south  of  Nashville  much  earlier. 
Forrest,  who  left  Mississippi  and  his  regiment  for  a  new  com- 
mand at  Chattanooga,  organized  an  expedition  into  Middle  Ten- 
nessee, composed  of  the  Eighth  Texas,  First  Louisiana,  Second 
Georgia  and  a  few  other  troops.  With  these  he  surprised  the 
Federal  forces  at  Murfreesboro,  twenty  miles  below  Nashville, 
capturing  Brigadier  General  Crittenden,  two  regiments  of  in- 
fantry and  seven  companies  of  cavalry.  Owing  to  the  surprise, 
the  detached  positions  of  the  troops  and  the  belief  that  Forrest's 
numbers  were  overwhelming,  no  combined  defense  was  made. 
The  considerable  resistance  which  Forrest  met,  arose  from  de- 
tachments, and  when  they  surrendered  large  quantities  of  quar- 
18 


274  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

ter-master  and  commissary  stores  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands. 
Of  course,  as  much  damage  was  done  to  the  raih'oad  and  tele- 
graph as  Forrest,  who  hurriedly  retired  to  McMinnville  with  his 
prisoners,  had  time  to  effect. 

John  J.  Wickham,  operator,  entered  the  Federal  service  in 
May,  1862,  at  Murfreesboro,  where  he  was  captured  by  Forrest. 
He  narrowly  escaped  being  shot,  at  the  moment  of  capture,  by 
a  rebel  soldier,  whose  captain  prevented  it.  Wickham  succeeded 
in  destroying  his  cipher  key  and  all  the  dispatches  in  his  posses- 
sion before  capture.  The  next  morning,  near  Woodl^ry,  by  a 
stratagem,  he  effected  his  escape.  Being  closely  pursued,  he 
took  to  the  fields  to  elude  his  captors,  and  finally  hid  in  a  black- 
berry thicket,  where  he  was  accidentally  discovered  by  an  oflicer 
and  two  men  who  were  not  in  search  of  him.  He  was  that  night 
taken  to  McMinnville,  where  Forrest  cursed  him  roundly  for 
doing  just  what  he  would  have  done.  At  McMinnville  all  of 
the  soldiers  were  paroled,  but  the  officers  were  sent  to  Knox- 
ville.  Operator  Brush,  a  little  later,  was  taken  from  Libby 
prison  because  he  was  not  an  officer,  but  operator  Wickham  was 
sent  to  Knoxville  and  imprisoned  there  with  the  officers  on  the 
ground  that  he  was  an  officer.  While  there  he,  one  night,  at- 
tempted to  escape  by  passing  the  prison  sentries.  They  fired  at 
him  without  effect,  but  he  was  brought  back  during  the  night 
and  placed  in  an  iron  cage  about  six  feet  square;  being  the  same 
one  that  Parson  Brownlow  had  occupied  some  time  before. 
Wickham  was  kept  there  two  or  three  weeks,  when  he  was  again 
given  the  run  of  the  prison.  An  East  Tennessee  woman  was 
permitted  to  bring  edibles  to  her  brother  there,  also  a  prisoner. 
During  these  visits,  she  graciously  arranged  for  Wickham's  es- 
cape in  female  attire,  but  he  was  suddenly  transferred  to  Libby 
prison  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  where,  after  some  months,  he  was 
paroled  and  finally  exchanged,  when  he  re-entered  the  Corps  and 
took  part  in  the  Atlanta  campaign 

About  dawn  of  the  twentieth,  Forrest  appeared  at  Lebanon, 
Tenn. ,  and,  gaining  the  road  between  Murfreesboro  and  Nash- 
ville, he  did  a  little  injury,  but  was  glad  to  escape  Nelson's  in- 
fantry, and  return.  A  little  later  he  struck  the  road  near 
Manchester  and  then  the  McMinnville  Branch  Railroad,  doing 
some  damage,  which  was  speedily  repaired.     During  his  retreat 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  275 

he  was  badly  worsted  between  McMinnville  and  Murfreesboro, 
by  Colonel  Fyffe's  three  regiments  and  a  battery.  When  Bu- 
elFs  rear  guard  left  McMinnville  for  Nashville  and  Kentucky, 
as  shown  hereafter,  Forrest  pounded  ineflfectually  against  it.  He 
seems  not  to  have  been  prominently  identified  with  any  move- 
ment in  Kentucky  during  his  stay  there  in  September.  October 
1,  he  assumed  command  of  the  recruits  arriving  at  Murfrees- 
boro, Tenn.,  then  held  by  the  Confederates. 

Colonel  John  H.  Morgan's  operations  against  the  railroads 
and  telegraphs,  were  more  serious.  We  last  noticed  him,  late 
in  July,  1862,  escaping  from  Eastern  Kentucky  to  Sparta,  Tenn. 
About  the  20th  of  August,  he  started  on  a  new  expedition,  cross- 
ing the  Cumberland  near  Hartsville,  unopposed.  Confederate 
States  operators  Dudley  and  Ellsworth  accompanied  him.  By 
daybreak,  Morgan's  force  drove  in  the  Federal  pickets  at  Gal- 
latin, Tenn.,  and  with  little  difficulty,  captured  the  garrison. 
The  pickets  fired  one  volley  and  ran.  A  soldier  riding  near 
Dudley  was  the  only  person  injured  in  the  afiair.  Colonel  Boone 
of  the  Twenty-Eighth  Kentucky  regiment  was  in  command  at 
Gallatin.  His  troops  were  stationed  at  the  fair  grounds  about  a 
mile  north  of  the  town.  His  wife  came  the  day  before  and  con- 
sequently the  Colonel  took  rooms  in  the  village  hotel,  where 
Morgan's  men  surprised  and  captured  him. 

J.  N.  Brooks,  who  had  done  good  service  at  Edgefield  and 
Franklin,  Tenn.,  was  at  this  time  railroad  and  express  agent  and 
military  operator  at  Gallatin.  He  lodged  up  stairs,  over  his 
office  in  the  depot.  About  daylight,  he  heard  some  one  coming 
up  stairs  ;  thinking  it  was  the  porter,  he  paid  no  attention 
to  the  footsteps,  being  half  asleep,  but  suddenly  he  heard  a 
voice  say  "Surrender,  in  the  name  of  John  Morgan."  Rising, 
he  saw  Ellsworth  and  another  man,  each  with  navy  pistols  in 
both  hands,  cocked  and  pointed  at  him.  Brooks  replied,  "Cer- 
tainly." Ellsworth  ordered  him  to  dress,  and  after  Brooks  had 
partially  done  so,  asked  if  he  had  any  money.  Brooks  replied 
that  he  had  a  little,  whereupon  a  pistol  was  presented  and  Brooks 
ordered  to  "  shell  out."  When  Brooks  gave  Ellsworth  the  purse 
he  had  in  his  pocket,  Ellsworth  counted  out  forty  dollars  and 
returned  the  empty  pocket  book,  asking  "  Is  that  all  you  have?" 
to  which  Brooks  replied  "Yes."     They  then  descended  to  the 


276  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

office,  where  Ellsworth  found  a  package  of  thirty -five  dollars 
that  had  come  the  evening  before  by  express,  addressed  to  a 
lady  in  Gallatin.  That  was  also  pocketed.  Brooks  was  then 
ordered  to  connect  his  instrument  and  find  out  where  the  trains 
were,  which  he  did  purposely  in  so  awkward  a  manner,  that  the 
Nashville  operators  became  suspicious.  Ellsworth  then  put 
Brooks  under  guard,  took  personal  charge  of  the  telegraphing 
and  tried  to  imitate  Brooks'  writing. 

About  seven  a.  m.,  Gulp,  who  kept  the  hotel  opposite  the 
depot,  came  after  Brooks  to  go  to  breakfast,  but  Ellsworth  con- 
cluded that  all  should  go,  so  he  locked  the  office.  Brooks  had 
^ye  hundred  dollars  up  stairs  in  bed — his  first  savings.  That 
worried  him  a  good  deal ;  obtaining  leave  to  run  up  to  wash  his 
face,  he  quickly  placed  the  money  in  a  boot  leg,  wet  his  face 
and  returned  without  being  troubled  by  the  guard.  After 
breakfast,  Ellsworth  resumed  telegraphing.  Little  Jimmy  Mor- 
ris was  operating  at  ''NE"  (Louisville  &  Nashville  Eailroad 
office  in  Nashville),  Gon.  Dwyer  (manager),  Ellis  Wilson,  S.  P. 
Peabody  and  the  author  were  running  the  main  city  office  at  this 
time.  Morris  mistrusted  something  was  wrong  at  Gallatin  and 
asked  Brooks  if  he  received  ' '  that  bottle  of  nitric  acid  that  I 
sent  a  few  days  ago."  Ellsworth  thereupon  turned  to  Brooks 
for  an  answer,  at  the  same  time  drawing  out  and  cocking  his 

pistol  and  said  he  would  shoot  the  top  of  his  (Brooks') 

head  off  if  he  lied  about  the  acid,  as  the  question  was  clearly  a 
test  one.  Brooks  had  indeed,  a  few  days  previously,  received  a 
bottle  of  whisky,  labelled  "  nitric  acid,"  to  keep  the  railroad  men 
from  drinking  it,  but  had  forgotten  the  label  and  innocently, 
but  stoutly  asserted  that  he  had  not  received  it.  This  Jimmy 
knew  was  false,  as  it  had  been  acknowledged  before,  and  thus 
he  became  convinced  that  Ellsworth  was  at  the  key.  Little  as 
Morris  was,  he  could  command  some  of  the  most  biting  invec- 
tives ever  invented,  and  these  maledictions  he  hurled  against 
Ellsworth,  who  laughed  immoderately  at  them. 

At  that  early  hour  there  was  little  telegraphing  except  rail- 
road business.  A  freight  train  bound  south  was  captured  on 
arriving  at  Gallatin.  The  passenger  train  for  Louisville  was 
ready  to  leave  Nashville.  Peabody  having  told  Dwyer  that  no 
one  could  be  raised  north  of  Gallatin,  the  latter  asked  "  GI "  if 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  277 

it  was  Brooks.  The  reply  came  ' '  yes. "  Q. — ' '  What  news  have 
you?"  A.—'' Everything  O.  K."  Q.— "How  is  the  down 
freight?"  A.— "Here  all  right."  Q.— "Guess  not,  that  isn't 
Brooks' writing  ;  who  is  it?"  No  reply.  Calling  "  GI "  again, 
Dvvyer  said:  "If  it's  Ellsworth  at  key,  I  would  like  you  to  pro- 
tect Brooks."  Ellsworth  thereupon  admitted  his  presence  and 
said  he  would  care  for  Brooks,  who,  about  ten  a.  m.  ,  was  paroled 
by  a  relative  of  Morgan's.  Ellsworth  sent  two  messages  to 
Dwyer,  who  agreed  to  deliver  them;  one  was  for  Ab.  Turner, 
a  man  not  unfamiliar  with  a  leading  game,  and  the  other  for 
John  Hugh  Smith,  mayor  of  the  city.  The  first  announced 
Morgan's  success  at  cards  with  certain  named  ones,  a  few  even- 
ings previous;  the  other  reminded  the  mayor  of  the  time  he 
sought  a  lieutenancy  in  the  Eock  City  Guards  and  was  the  most 
boastful  Confederate  in  Nashville  and  accused  him  of  infidelity. 
Turner  was  tickled,  but  Smith  sealed  Dwyer's  lips. 

The  next  day,  after  doing  great  damage,  Morgan  was  driven 
out  of  Gallatin,  but  being  hard  pressed,  he  in  turn  attacked  the 
Federals,  numbering  eight  hundred,  under  General  E.  W. 
Johnson,  killing  thirty,  wounding  fifty  and  capturing  about 
seventy-five,  including  the  commander,  after  which,  he  leisurely 
proceeded  to  join  General  Kir  by  Smith  in  Eastern  Kentucky. 

About  the  same  time.  Colonel  Woodward  with  nine  hundred 
men,  captured  Clarksville  (August  19).  J.  G.  Webb,  operator 
there,  was  also  taken,  but  eventually  he  was  unconditionally 
released  and  sent  to  Corinth  in  October.  August  25,  Wood- 
ward attacked  Fort  Donelson,  where  he  was  badly  beaten.  He 
captured  and  paroled  repairer  Pyrath  and  so  destroyed  the  line 
running  to  Smithland,  that  it  was  not  restored  until  December. 
During  the  attack  on  the  Fort,  a  rebel  operator  appeared  on  the 
line  west  of  the  fort.  His  writing  being  unfamiliar,  operator 
Griflin  at  Chaudits  asked  "134"  ?  meaning,  who  was  at  the  key, 
and  received  the  reply,  that  he  was  a  rebel  operator  and  the 
"  Confeds  are  now  whipping  h — ^1  out  of  the  Yanks  in  Fort  Don- 
elson and  will  be  down  your  way  soon  and  catch  you. "  It  is 
said  that  Peter  Fowler,  operator  at  the  fort  at  this  time,  did  good 
service  with  the  musket. 

While  these  operations  were  progressing,  H.W.  Plum  arrived 
(August  22),  at  Bowling  Green,  sixty-four  miles  by  rail  north- 


278  *       THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

east  of  Clarksville,  and  forty-five  east  of  Gallatin,  a  raw  recruit 
to  reinforce  the  Nashville  operators.  Morgan  being  on  the  main 
road,  Plum  attempted  to  reach  Nashville  by  train,  via  the  Mem- 
phis road  to  Guthrie,  and  thence  by  a  short  connecting  line 
which  crosses  the  Red  River,  fifty-one  miles  from  Bowling  Green. 
When  within  a  few  miles  of  the  river,  a  negro  hailed  the  train, 
and  satisfied  those  on  board  that  the  enemy  had  captured  the 
stockade  at  the  bridge,  and  were  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  train  ; 
hence  it  returned,  and  the  next  morning  Plum  was  sent  without 
an  instrument,  to  a  stockade  on  the  Clarksville  line,  at  the  Whip- 
poor-will  bridge,  where  three  companies  of  the  Fifty-fourth  In- 
diana were  stationed.  Shortly  after  he  had  run  a  loop  to  the 
fort,  in  anticipation  of  an  instrument,  the  pickets  were  driven  in, 
and  an  attack  momentarily  expected  from  the  enemy,  who 
app^red  in  considerable  force.  Accordingly  a  telegram  was 
sent  to  the  officer  in  command  at  Russell ville,  for  reinforcements 
should  he  hear  cannon,  of  which  there  were  none  in  the  stock- 
ade. The  operator  telegraphed  this  message  by  touching  one 
end  of  the  line  to  a  crowbar,  which  was  driven  into  the  ground 
for  an  earth  connection.  By  placing  one  hand  on  the  bar,  and 
the  end  of  the  line  in  his  mouth,  he  received  an  acknowledge- 
ment. All  this  took  place  just  outside  of  the  stockade,  and  in 
front  of  the  Federals,  who  were  momentarily  expecting  an 
attack  from  the  enemy,  in  plain  view.  But  perceiving  the  de- 
fenders were  prepared,  the  rebels  passed  on. 

A  day  or, two  later.  Plum  was  sent  to  Red  River  bridge,  over 
twenty  miles  away,  to  repair  the  line.  Taking  four  negroes  to 
work  his  hand  car,  he  started.  That  section  was  notoriously 
hostile  to  the  Union.  The  operator  was  so  delayed,'  examining 
every  bridge  before  crossing,  that  it  was  nearly  dark  when 
he  reached  his  destination.  On  the  return,  he  was  thoroughly 
alarmed  by  a  small  party  of  horsemen  who  pursued  as  far  as  the 
pike  and  track  ran  parallel,  firing  rapidly  whenever  within 
range.  When  the  grade  was  down,  the  negroes  beat  the  horses, 
but  when  it  was  up  the  horses  made  the  best  time.  At  one  time, 
the  darkeys  proposed  to  abandon  the  car  and  take  to  the  fields, 
but  the  operator's  revolver  kept  them  steadily  and  sturdily  at 
work,  and  long  before  they  expected  to  reach  Whip-poor-will  (it 
being  but  moonlight),  they  suddenly  drove  by  the  pickets,  but 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  279 

stopped  at  their  demand,  expecting  to  surrender,  when,  lo  !  they 
were  near  the  stockade,  safe.  Soon  the  railroad  was  re-opened 
for  a  day  or  two,  and  Plum  took  the  train  for  Nashville.  It 
proved  to  be  the  last  one  for  many  months. 

Not  stopping  to  note  minor  engagements  with  certain  of 
Buell's  detachments  in  Tennessee,  let  us  now  inquire  into  the 
operations  of  the  main  forces,  which  were  considerably  scattered, 
but  might  easily  be  concentrated.  General  Kirby  Smith  com- 
manded Bragg's  right,  fifteen  thousand  strong,  at  Knoxville, 
while  Bragg,  at  Chattanooga  and  vicinity,  had  under  Polk  and 
Hardee,  forty-five  thousand  more,  of  all  arms.  Bragg's  plan 
was  to  induce  Buell  to  expect  a  battle  near  Chattanooga,  while  in 
fact  the  former  arranged  to  invade  Kentucky,  leaving  Buell  be- 
hind. Buell  feared  Bragg  purposed  returning  into  North  Alaba- 
ma, although  he  regarded  a  battle  near  Altamont  a  possible 
contingency  to  be  provided  for.  His  ambition  was  to  possess 
Chattanooga  and  Knoxville,  and  thus  relieve  G.  W.  Morgan's 
forces,  occupying  Cumberland  Gap,  and  join  them  to  his  own. 
Federal  occupancy  of  that  region,  in  strong  force,  was  indeed 
a  desideratum  scarcely  possible  to  over-estimate.  East  Tennessee 
was  peopled  with  hardy,  liberty-loving  mountaineers,  thousands 
of  whom  were  ready  to  join  the  Union  army.  Chattanooga  was 
connected  by  rail  with  Atlanta  and  Rome,  Ga.,  where  much  war 
material  was  manufactured.  Even  Chattanooga  itself,  besides 
being  a  great  entrepot^  was  somewhat  interested  in  manufactur- 
ing. Situated  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Tennessee,  which  may 
almost  be  said  to  bound  the  city  on  three  sides,  it  lies  in  a  beau- 
tiful valley  that  is  skirted  on  the  south  by  the  famous  Lookout 
Mountain,  and  on  the  east  by  Missionary  Ridge.  Across  the 
river  is  Waldron's  Ridge.  Thus  Chattanooga,  as  its  Indian 
name  indicates,  sits  like  an  "eagle's  nest,  "  in  the  lap  of  majes- 
tic steeps.  The  strong  natural  positions  of  Northern  Georgia 
and  Eastern  Tennessee,  once  seized  by  a  Federal  army,  might 
always  remain  so  possessed;  especially  as  Knoxville  and  Chatta- 
nooga were  connected  by  rail  ;  and  so  the  sequel  proved,  but  it 
was  yet  a  long  way  ofi". 

At  this  time,  McCook's  and  Crittenden's  divisions  were  at 
Battle  Creek,  on  the  Nashville  &  Chattanooga  Railroad  ;  Thom- 
as's and  Wood's,  along  the  same  road  ;  ^)^^^gy^^g(ignville, 

0?  THB 

'uhivbrsitt: 

OS* 


280  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Tenn.,  and  Eousseaii's  (late  Mitchell's,  he  having  been  trans- 
ferred to  Port  Royal,  S.  C),  on  the  Nashville  and  Decatur  road, 
north  of  Huntsville,  Ala.  Rousseau  himself  had  head-quarters 
in  the  Cunningham  House,  in  Nashville,  where  the  author  oper- 
ated during  Buell's  retrograde  movement,  which  began  on  the 
1st  of  September.  A  line  had  been  constructed  to  McMinnville, 
to  which  place  General  Thomas  was  sent,  August  19,  to  oversee 
affairs,  and  Henry  C.  Vincent  and  Joseph  Humphreys,  operators, 
opened  the  first  office  there,  in  the  Cumberland  Female  Seminary 
building.  Buell  moved  from  Stevenson  to  Dechard,  when  a 
historic  correspondence  between  these  two  generals  took  place 
by  telegraph — Thomas  insisting  that  Bragg's  object  was  to  enter 
Kentucky  ;  Buell  thinking  Nashville  was  the  objective.  Nelson 
was  relieved  by  General  Wright,  and  sent  into  Kentucky  to 
organize  the  recruits  intended  to  beat  off  Kirby  Smith,  who  by 
this  time  was  about  to  flank  the  Gap  and  move  into  that  State. 

Bragg's  ulterior  designs  were  so  masked  that  Buell,  who 
wished  to  aggress,  was  already  on  the  defensive.  By  the  5th  of 
September,  he  had  concentrated  his  forces  at  Murfreesboro,  to 
protect  Nashville.  The  importance  of  the  telegraph  to  Buell,  in 
August  and  fore  part  of  September,  can  not  be  exaggerated,  for 
his  command  included  the  forces  at  Cumberland  Gap.  He  was 
also  charged  with  the  protection  of  Kentucky,  and  expected,  if 
he  could  not  annihilate  Bragg's  army,  at  least  to  hold  it  in  check 
in  the  Sequatchie  Valley,  near  Chattanooga,  until  a  decisive 
battle  could  be  fought.  But  August  19,  Polk's  and  Hardee's 
forces  began  climbing  Waldron's  Ridge,  on  their  way  into  Ken- 
tucky. 

At  this  time,  Buell's  forces  in  hand,  not  counting  possible 
reserves,  equaled  Bragg's  immediate  command.  The  latter's 
movements  finally  developed  a  settled  purpose  to  invade  Ken- 
tucky, and  then  began  that  great  race  of  the  two  armies  for 
Louisville,  with  the  Confederates  in  the  lead — a  race  in  which 
the  iron  horse  and  electric  tongue  figured  so  potently  as  to  save 
Louisville  and  Cincinnati,  if  not  the  army  itself  Bragg  marched 
rapidly  to  Carthage  on  the  Cumberland,  and  thence  through 
Scottsville  and  Glasgow  to  the  railroad  leading  to  Louisville, 
which  he  soon  interrupted.  While  Buell's  army  is  making 
extraordinary  exertions  to  head  off  Bragg  on  or  near  the  Louis- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


281 


ville  and  Nashville  Railroad,  and  Nelson  is  endeavoring  to  stay 
Kirby  Smith's  approach  on  Lexington,  and  General  G.  W.  Mor- 
gan is  struggling  to  escape  from  the  Gap,  let  us  examine  some- 
what into  the  experiences  of  the  telegraphers  in  this  department. 
In  good  time,  we  will  return  to  the  movements  of  the  troops. 

The  incidents  concomitant  upon  the  position  of  the  army  op- 
erator here,  as  in  all  other  departments,  were  variant,  scarce  two 
alike,  but  while  the  details  were  always  fresh,  the  general  run 
may  be  gathered  from  the  adventures  of  almost  any  one  of  them, 


DOUGHERTY'S   AIR  LOOM. 

and  in  view  of  this  latter  fact,  we  have  chosen  to  illustrate  the 
operations  of  the  many  mainly  by  showing  the  happenings  to 
and  doings  of  one  —  Kit  Dougherty  —  who  entered  from  Bloody 
Island  (East  St.  Louis),  in  May,  and  was  stationed  first  at  Co- 
lumbia, Tennessee,  and  next  at  Moorsville,  Alabama.  At  the 
former  place,  this  lad  of  sixteen  slept  uneasily  for  the  first  few 
weeks,  as  he  was  repeatedly  routed  out  to  prepare  for  a  night 
attack  by  guerrilla  bands,  but  as  these  scares  became  monoto- 
nous, ''Nature's  sweet  restorer," 

That  supplies,  lubricates  and  keeps  in  play 
The  various  movements  of  this  nice  machine, 
wrought  its  full  benefaction  to  Dougherty.     But  his  comrade. 


282  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

Gregory,  could  not  weigh  his  "  eye-lids  down,"  and  hence  sought 
repose  in  the  safer  State  of  Indiana.  July  4,  Dougherty  took  a 
celebration  ride  in  the  suburbs;  his  horse  fell,  throwing  the  boy 
about  twenty  feet  over  the  stone  pike,  and  sending  him  to  bed 
for  ten  days.  Shortly  after  he  arose,  anathematizing  horses  in 
general,  he  was  induced  to  mount  a  particularly  amiable  one, 
and,  galloping  out  of  town  at  an  easy  pace,  the  animal  gradually 
grew  more  spirited,  and  made  desperate  but  unsuccessful  ef- 
forts to  throw  Christopher.  Finally  the  horse  resorted  to  a  mis- 
erable trick,  so  well  understood  on  the  Western  plains,  i.  <?.,  it 
shot  ahead  like  an  arrow  until  Dougherty  thought  the  animal 
had  made  friends  again,  when  suddenly  it  thrust  forward  its  stif- 
fened front  legs,  lowered  its  head  and  came  to  a  dead  stop.  If 
Dougherty  had  stopped  too,  all  would  have  been  well,  but  he 
kept  right  ahead,  landing  on  the  macadam.  Then  the  amiable 
beast  returned  alone  and  Dougherty  took  another  week's  rest. 

Soon  after,  he  was  en  route  for  Huntsville,  in  company,  on 
the  train,  with  Superintendent  Bruch.  They  had  proceeded  but 
a  few  miles,  when  bump,  bump  !  bang  !  bang  !  !  The  train  was 
ditched  and  the  bushmen  were  whacking  away.  It  was  a  mo- 
ment full  of  confused  scare,  and  Bruch  and  Dougherty  were  sur- 
charged with  that  sort  of  confusion.  No  sooner  had  they 
crawled  through  a  window  on  the  off  side  than  the  guerrillas 
sounded  their  demoniac  war-whoop;  but  not  wjshing  to  encounter 
the  train  guard,  they  hurriedly  decamped,  and  the  telegraphers 
took  possession  of  the  field  back  to  Columbia,  exhibiting  com- 
mendable energy  all  the  way. 

For  want  of  other  amusement,  and  chancing  to  have  some 
copper  pennies,  Dougherty  amalgamated  them  in  the  battery 
room,  and  among  the  illiterate  farmers  they  became  excellent 
silver  half  dollars,  much  sought  after  in  exchange  for  watermel- 
ons and  vegetables,  which  would  have  been  exorbitantly  charged 
for  by  the  native  Secessionists,  but  for  this  system  of  specie  pay- 
ment. 

Three  trains  left  Huntsville,  August  27,  traveling  close  to- 
gether; two  were  laden  with  troops,  the  last  was  to  take  up  the 
post  guards  along  the  road.  At  Moorsville,  the  six  soldiers  and 
operator  were  found  by  the  second  train  on  a  flat  car,  with  all 
their  truck,  including  about  twelve  barrels  of  mess  pork,  with 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  283 

which  they  made  a  barricade,  that  undoubtedly  saved  the  lives 
of  some  of  the  party.  The  sergeant  of  the  guard  missed  that 
train  and  took  the  last  one.  Thus  Dougherty  became  command- 
er-in-chief on  the  flat  car,  which  was  the  last  on  the  middle  train. 
Near  three  p.  m.,  about  midway  between  Pulaski  and  Columbia, 
the  train  was  thrown  from  the  track,  and  a  shower  of  buckshot 
announced  the  presence  of  the  enemy  in  the  adjoining  woods. 
The  telegraph  party,  safely  ensconced  behind  the  salt  pork,  had 
the  happy  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  it  was  that,  not  they, 
that  was  being  well  peppered.  The  attack  came  from  the  east 
and,  consequently,  the  passengers  hastily  landed  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  train,  which  was  used  as  a  protection.  A  lively  fight 
ensued  for  about  ten  minutes,  during  which  time  a  Federal  who 
was  fighting  with  Dougherty  was  shot  through  the  brain  and  fell 
dead  by  his  side.  A  lieutenant  called  for  volunteers  to  recon- 
noiter.  Dougherty  and  a  few  others  went  into  the  woods  to  see 
what  had  become  of  the  enemy,  who  had  suddenly  ceased  firing, 
and  while  darting  from  tree  to  tree  the  party  was  again  fired 
upon,  and  another  soldier  was  shot,  whereupon,  ''having  accom- 
plished the  object  of  the  reconnoisance,"  they  fell  back  in  good 
order,  bringing  off  one  wounded  prisoner  and  some  shot-guns, 
but,  while  away,  they  discovered  that  the  bridge  ahead  had  been 
burned,  and  they  soon  noticed  that  the  one  in  their  near  rear 
was  burning.  In  the  language  of  an  eminent  military  authority, 
they  were  "bottled  up;"  but  the  last  train  coming  up  the  next 
morning  with  a  thousand  soldiers  and  some  cotton  bales,  the  lat- 
ter were  used  successfully  to  pass  the  trains  over  one  stream,  the 
troops  being  transferred  to  trains  from  Columbia  at  the  other 
bridgeway.  The  line  was  destroyed  by  fastening  it  about  every 
half  mile  to  the  end  of  the  train,  which  tore  off  insulators  and 
broke  down  poles  before  the  line  parted.  Operator  J.  A.  Fuller 
came  up  on  the  last  train.  Dougherty  was  sent  to  General 
Negley,  whose  command  was,  walkmg  north  on  the  pike.  For 
this  march,  Dougherty  donned  his  old  clothes  and  sent  his  bet- 
ter ones  by  train  to  Nashville.  That  was  the  last  he  ever  saw 
of  them;  a  very  common  mishap;  for  what  army  operator  did 
not  lose  at  least  one  hest  suit  ? 

Now  let  us  go  back  a  little  and  note  what  the  chief  operator, 


284  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Crittenton,  was  doing.  August  30,  he  telegraphed  Superintend- 
ent Bruch,  from  Stevenson,  Ala. : 

Troops  withdrawn  from  Decatur  and  Columbia  route  three  days 
ago.  Moorsville,  Athens,  Elk  River  and  Pulaski  offices  closed. 
Operators  and  repairers  ordered  to  Nashville  with  all  telegraph 
property.  Battle  Creek  taken  by  rebels;  operators  escaped. 
Bridgeport  office  closed  and  troops  left.  Huntsville  to  be  evacu- 
ated to-day;  Stevenson  to-morrow.  This  will  give  us  no  foothold 
in  Northern  Alabama  for  the  present.  I  am  withdrawing  every- 
thing from  my  section  as  quietly  and  orderly  as  possible. 

The  next  day  was  full  of  interest  to  Crittenton.  A  wire  was  run 
to  the  fort  in  Stevenson,  and  communication  opened  therefrom 
to  Rousseau's  head-quarters  in  Nashville,  and  so  continued 
throughout  an  engagement  with  an  advance  force  of  the  enemy. 
The  following  excerpt  from  an  article  by  the  author,  in  1867,  is 
now  in  point:  "Stevenson,  Alabama,  was  attacked,  I  think,  by 
General  Wheeler.  Our  lines  were  still  working  ;  the  operator 
had  his  office  in  the  stockade  at  that  place.  In  Nashville,  we 
were  having  a  terrible  thunder-storm;  the  surcharged  wire  found 
relief  in  my  office  every  minute;  officers  flocked  there  to  learn 
the  cause  of  so  much  firing;  the  crack  of  the  escaping  lightning 
was  as  loud  as  that  of  a  rifle.  Every  minute  I  thought  would 
be  the  last  for  my  magnets.  I  inquired  of  General  Rousseau  if 
I  should  'cut  out.'  'No,  sir,' he  replied;  'let  the  instrument 
burn  if  it  will ;  I  must  keep  posted  about  the  Stevenson  fight.' 
A  minute  after  this,  he  was  leaning  upon  my  desk,  with  one 
hand  upon  the  window  sill,  when  he  received  a  powerful  shock. 
That  great  strong  man  was  nearly  prostrated  ;  he  who  had  with- 
stood the  shocks  of  many  fierce  battles,  was  for  once  demoral- 
ized by  a  single  one  sent  forth  by  the  God  of  battles.  It  was  a 
week  before  he  fully  recovered." 

That  night  the  Stevenson  force  began  its  retreat  and,  tele- 
graphic communication  was  opened  at  each  bivouac.  Then  all 
was  quiet  on  the  Southern  lines;  that  whole  country  had  been 
given  up  to  the  enemy,  and  operators  arrived  one  by  one  and  in 
twos,  in  the  main,  impecunious,  ragged  and  communicative. 
They  awaited  developments  at  the  Cedar  street  office  by  day  and 
the  theater  on  free  passes,  by  night,  until  singly  or  in  squads. 


CIVIL   WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  285 

they  assumed  new  duties,  and  then  the  Cedar  street  office,  like 
the  city  itself,  was  shut  off  from  the  world. 

While  BuelFs  forces  are  en  route  from  Nashville  to  head  oft 
Bragg,  let  us  inquire  into  the  movements  of  Federal  General 
Morgan  commanding  at  Cumberland  Gap,  and  also  those  of 
Kirby  Smith  and  Bragg.  The  enemy  remained  in  force  within 
threatening  nearness  of  the  Gap  during  Morgan's  stay,  but  owing 
to  the  extreme  difficulty  of  subsisting  his  troops,  Morgan  was 
obliged  to  forage  extensively.  One  of  these  expeditions  pro- 
voked the  severe  contest  at  Tazewell,  reported  by  telegraph  quite 
interestingly,  as  follows  : 

Cumberland  Gap,  August  7,  1862. 

To  Colonel  J.  B.  Fry,  Chief  of  Staff,  Huntsville,  Ala. 

To  obtain  forage  and  feel  the  strength  of  the  enemy,  DeCourcy's 
brigade  was  ordered  to  Tazewell  on  the  second  inst.  lie  secured 
two  hundred  wagon  loads  of  forage,  all  of  which  safely  arrived.  On 
the  fifth,  some  slight  picket  skirmishing  took  place,  in  which  we 
had  two  men  wounded,  while  the  enemy  had  one  killed  and  several 
wounded.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  sixth  inst.,  not  wishing  to 
bring  on  a  general  action,  I  ordered  Colonel  DeCourcy  to  return  to 
this  post,  but  he  was  attacked  at  daybreak  on  that  day.  Consider- 
ing the  enemy's  force,  the  attack  was  feeble.  Two  of  his  regiments 
surrounded  two  companies  of  the  Sixteenth  Ohio,  detached  to  pro- 
tect a  section  of  artillery.  The  enemy's  movement  was  well  exe- 
cuted, and  had  it  not  been  for  the  coolness  and  gallantry  of  Lieu- 
tenant Anderson,  we  would  have  lost  two  pieces  of  artillery.  Al- 
though surrounded  by  a  vastly  superior  force,  the  two  infantry 
companies  under  command  of  Captains  Edgar  and  Tanneyhill, 
fought  heroically,  and  three-fourths  of  them  succeeded  in  cutting 
their  way  through  to  their  regiment,  but  we  fear  that  Captain 
Edgar,  an  officer  of  great  merit,  was  killed  and  Captain  Tanneyhill 
taken  prisoner.  There  were  several  instances  of  distinguished  con- 
duct, both  on  the  part  of  officers  and  soldiers.  A  soldier  of  the 
Twenty-Second  Kentucky  was  shot  through  the  neck  and  fell;  his 
gun  dropped  from  his  hand;  his  antagonist  continued  to  advance 
upon  him,  when  the  wounded  hero  grasped  his  gun,  rose  to  his  feet, 
and  shot  the  rebel  soldier  dead,  when  within  five  paces  of  him; 
when  he  airain  fell  welterinsr  in  his  own  blood.  Two  soldiers  of  the 
Sixteenth   Ohio  had  lost  their  way,   and  were  going  toward  the 


286  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

enemy,  when  Lieutenant  Colonel  Gordon,  of  the  Eleventh  Ten- 
nessee hailed  them,  demanding  their  regiment;  with  coolness  and 
courage  they  required  him  to  declare  his  rank  and  regiment;  and 
took  him  prisoner,  reversing  their  march  by  a  circuitous  route, 
they  rejoined  their  command.  Gordon  speaks  highly  of  their  cour- 
age and  courtesy.  At  8;30p.  m.,  a  courier  arrived  from  Colonel 
])eCourcy  and  asked  for  aid;  leaving  three  regiments  to  guard  the 
Gap,  I  marched  with  my  remaining  force  to  his  assistance,  but  when 
within  two  miles  of  Tazewell,  1  met  him  on  his  return.  The  ene- 
my left  the  field  at  five  o'clock,  and  he  maintained  his  position  until 
seven  p.  m.  The  enemy's  loss  is  believed  to  be  considerable.  I 
did  not  pursue,  lest  a  superior  force  should  gain  my  rear. 
(Signed)         George  W.  Morgan, 

Brig.  Gen.  Vols.  Comdg. 

It  is  said  the  Confederates  lost  two  hundred  killed  and  wounded, 
that  DeCourcy's  loss  was  much  less. 

Late  on  the  seventeenth,  Kirby  Smith  struck  Morgan's  line  of 
communications  at  Barboursville  and  Cumberland  Ford;  that  was 
Sunday;  in  the  morning  of  that  day,  Morgan  was  advised  of  the 
movement  in  this  way:  Smith's  advance  cavalry,  numbering 
nine  hundred,  under  Colonel  Scott,  captured  London  after  a 
brief  engagement  with  the  small  command  there.  This  com- 
mand was  posted  some  distance  from  operator  Frank  Benner's  of- 
fice. While  Scott  was  engaged  with  the  Federals,  Benner,  thrust- 
ing his  instrument  under  his  arm,  hurried  off  in  the  direction  of 
Cumberland  Gap,  and  after  traveling  eight  or  nine  miles  tapped 
the  line  and  telegraphed  to  General  Morgan  that  the  enemy's 
cavalry,  two  thousand  strong,  had  that  morning  taken  London. 
It  was  a  brave  and  highly  commendable  feat,  and  it  so  chanced 
that  he  had  just  quitted  the  line,  when  a  squad  of  the  enemy 
rode  by.  Benner  then  struck  out  for  Lexington,  Ky.,  which 
point  he  reached  just  in  time  to  escape  Kirby  Smith,  and  was 
forced  to  continue  his  journey  to  Frankfort  and  Louisville. 

As  Smith  cut  off  all  hope  of  supplies  by  the  Lexington  route, 
and  Bragg  via  the  Cumberland,  and  as  Stevenson's  division  of 
the  enemy's  forces  remained  south  of  the  Gap  to  harass  foraging 
parties,  Morgan,  rather  than  surrender,  decided  on  the  14th  of 
September  to  evacuate.  His  command,  ten  thousand  strong,  had 
been  living  on  scanty  allowances  for  nearly  a  month.     The  tele- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  287 

graph  party  was  organized  under  Patterson  and  Tidd,  into  a 
corps  of  sappers  and  miners  and  materially  assisted  in  making 
new  roads,  removing  obstructions  and  building  bridges  destroyed 
by  Colonel  John  H.  Morgan,  who  harassed  the  infantry  column 
(Gr.  W.  Morgan  had  previously  dispatched  nearly  all  of  his 
cavalry  to  the  North)  so  greatly  as  to  reduce  its  means  of  forage 
to  the  minimum.  For  several  days  the  operators  and  line 
men  lived  exclusively  on  corn  grated  on  a  tin  plate,  through 
which  rough  edged  nail-holes  had  been  made.  On  the  second 
day  out.  General  Morgan  ordered  all  but  field  officers  to  dis- 
mount. Consequently  the  operators  had  a  long  walk.  Cassell, 
the  cipherer,  was  two  days  behind  Morgan  on  the  hitter's  arrival 
at  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  via  Manchester,  Booneville,  Hazel  Green, . 
Grayson,  and  Greenupsburg,  and  in  consequence  Morgan's  cipher 
messages  from  General  H.  G.  Wright,  the  commander  of  the 
reconstructed  Department  of  the  Ohio,  which  embraced  Eastern 
Kentucky,  were  delayed,  much  to  Morgan's  annoyance,  until 
Cassell  could  be  sent  for.  The  operators  with  Morgan's  com- 
mand, were  J.  A.  Cassell,  Hugh  Craig,  J.  G.  Garland  and 
Robert  Wagner. 

Of  course  Kirby  Smith's  wing  of  Bragg's  army  pressed  vig- 
orously forward.  James  Jones,  the  Mount  Vernon  operator, 
was  overhauled  near  Perryville  by  Smith's  men,  and  marched 
one  hundred  miles  before  he  was  paroled.  James  Meagher,  who 
barely  escaped  Morgan's  men  in  July,  was,  in  August,  operating 
at  Columbia,  where  he  was  captured.  W.  W.  Pitcairn,  operat- 
ing at  Somerset,  hid  from  the  rebels  from  August  until  October 
29,  when  he  escaped.  The  other  operators  hurried  to  Louisville. 
Eastern  Kentucky,  Ohio  and  Indiana,  day  by  day  as  Smith  ad- 
vanced, and  report  magnified  his  force  beyond  all  reason,  grew 
more  and  more  excited  and  energetic.  Lexington  was  Smith's 
first  objective,  then  Louisville  or  Cincinnati,  perhaps  both. 
Colonel  Stager  proceeded  to  Louisville  to  oversee  telegraphic 
operations.  C.  E.  Bhven  was  made  one  of  Captain  Bruch's 
assistant  managers,  and  sent  to  Lexington,  the  center  of  his 
(Bliven's)  district.  General  Wright  sent  Nelson  there  also,  and 
there  his  division,  consisting  of  regiments  (except  two)  scarce  a 
week  old,  was  organized.  Time  was  all-important;  both  sides 
realized  the  fact,  for  the  movement  had  not  been  anticipated  by 


288  THE    MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

the  Unionists,  who  relied  upon  G.  W.  Morgan's  forces  to  pre- 
vent  such  an  irruption,  and  it  would  have  been  better  that  he 
had  destroyed  his  army  in  seriously  crippling  Smith,  than  render 
it  useless  in  this  trying  emergency;  but  perhaps  better  still  had 
he  followed  closely  on  the  heels  of  his  adversary  and  sought 
advantageous  positions  in  case  Smith  turned  against  him.  How- 
ever, we  know  not  but  that  Morgan  believed  a  siege  intended, 
until  it  was  too  late  to  overtake  the  enemy.  Metcalf  s,  Child's 
and  Mundy's  cavalry  endeavored  to  retard  Smith's  advance. 
Manson  hurried  to  Richmond,  twenty-five  miles  from  Lexington, 
to  interpose  his  and  Cruft's  brigades.  The  nearest  telegraph 
office  was  Nicholasville,  fifteen  miles  distant,  where  F.  C.  Cook 
operated.  On  the  twenty-ninth,  word  was  sent  of  the  enemy's 
approach  in  force.  The  next  day,  a  courier  arrived  from  Nelson, 
with  orders  to  retire  ;  but  Manson  had  just  been  forced  back,  and 
was  forming  for  another  stand.  Again  and  again,  he  and  Cruft 
were  routed  ;  then  Scott's  cavalry  struck  the  panic-stricken  fugi- 
tives, and  all  hope  of  resisting  Smith  south  of  Covington,  oppo- 
site Cincinnati,  was  abandoned.  Fully  three  thousand  Federals 
were  captured,  two  hundred  killed,  and  seven  hundred  wounded. 
Lexington  fell,  Frankfort  was  occupied,  and  a  rebel  Governor 
installed.  Louisville  was  incapable  of  resistance,  but,  unwisely, 
Smith  moved  against  Cincinnati,  and  there  the  population  was 
all  astir,  arming,  drilling,  organizing  and  digging.  Forty  thous- 
and men  crossed  the  river  with  axes,  picks  and  spades.  Bliven 
soon  had  fifteen  miles  of  telegraph  in  operation,  connecting  the 
fortifications  opposite  Cincinnati.  These  lines  were  operated  by 
John  C.  Sullivan,  E.  M.  Livingston,  Dan.  Murray  and  John  D. 
Richardson.  Heth  approached  (September  15)  with  twelve  thous- 
and Confederates,  but  dared  not  attack.  That  was  two  days  be- 
fore G.  W.  Morgan  left  Cumberland  Gap. 

Bragg  concentrated  his  main  army  at  Glasgow  the  day  before 
Smith's  advance  under  Heth  appeared  before  the  Covington  forti- 
fications, but  as  early  as  the  ninth,  when  Salt  River  bridge  was 
destroyed,  railroad  and  telegraphic  communication  between 
Nashville  and  Louisville  ceased.  Zeph.  Morris,  J.  D.  Weems, 
Adam  Bruch  and  W.  L.  Biggert,  the  "owl,"  operators  in  the 
Louisville  office,  freed  from  labors  incident  to  a  Nashville  con- 
nection, were  nevertheless  now  doubly  taxed,  owing  to  the  great 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  289 

emergencies  rapidly  developing.  On  the  twelfth,  the  railroad 
between  Franklin  and  Bowling  Green  was  broken.  Six  days 
later,  Buell  concentrated  all  his  forces,  not  left  at  Nashville,  in 
and  around  Bowling  Green.  On  the  seventeenth,  about  four 
thousand  Unionists,  at  Munfordsville,  surrendered  -to  Bragg, 
who,  marching  northward,  turned  north-east  near  Lebanon  Junc- 
tion, striking  Bardstown,  ten  miles  from  the  Louisville  and  Nash- 
ville road,  where  a  large  force  was  stationed,  and,  pressing  on 
with  the  remainder,  joined  Smith  at  Frankfort,  October  1. 
Smith  and  Bragg,  by  a  strange  fatuity,  had  each  avoided  their 
great  objective  when  its  possession  was  certain,  if  they  prompt- 
ly approached  in  full  force. 

When  BuelPs  army  advanced  from  Nashville,  two  operators 
accompanied  each  division  commander — some  on  foot,  a  few  in 
ambulances,  and  others  on  horses  or  mules.  Many  others  were 
detained  in  Nashville.  Among  those  who  accompanied  the  army 
were  Bruner  and  Mullarkey  with  Buell,  H.  C.  Vincent  and  W. 
H.  Hartman  with  Thomas,  J.  A.  Fuller  and  William  Atwater  with 
Crittenden,  A.  J.  Howell  with  McCook,  J.  S.  Lyle  with  Woods, 
William  Patterson  with  W.  S.  Smith,  and  Hector  Lithgow,  G. 
W.  Bliestine,  J.  H.  Galvin  and  Thomas  M.  Sampson  with  other 
officers.  Hartman  went  with  Colonel  Kennett  from  Elizabeth- 
town.  Buell,  four  days'  march  behind  Bragg,  entered  Louisville 
on  the  twenty-ninth,  and  from  that  moment  the  high  expecta- 
tions of  the  Confederates  who  hoped  to  hold  Kentucky,  became 
impossible  of  realization.  Li  BuelPs  absorbing  anxiety  to  save 
Louisville  he  marched  far  in  advance  of  his  main  wagon  train. 
Although  it  was  convoyed  by  a  considerable  force,  both  it  and 
the  guard  were  in  imminent  peril  of  capture,  and  no  sooner  did 
Buell  feel  easy  about  the  city,  than  he  became  uneasy  concerning 
this  train  and  convoy.  Just  where  it  was,  he  knew  not,  and  the 
nature  of  his  aid  depended  upon  its  position  ;  but  he  must  have 
known  full  well,  that  without  reinforcements,  being  many  miles 
long,  it  could  not  pass  Lebanon  Junction.  A  small  relief  force 
would  aggravate  the  trouble,  and  a  large  one  he  wished  not  to 
endanger.  Li  this  great  emergency,  he  asked  for  a  volunteer 
operator  to  restore  the  telegraph  to  his  train.  Charles  Lehr, 
who  had  been  serving  as  chief  operator  of  the  Cumberland  Gap 
line  since  Fuller's  sickness,  was  accepted. 
19 


290  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Taking  four  soldiers,  dressed  like  himself,  as  railroad  section 
men  to  propel  a  light  hand-car,  he  started  down  the  road,  expect- 
ing every  moment  to  see  the  rebels  who  scouted  to  within  five 
miles  of  the  city,  but  it  so  chanced  that  the  little  party  reached 
Salt  Eiver  without  discovering  any.  Here,  where  the  iron  bridge 
lay  in  ruins,  they  found  the  first  bad  break  in  the  line  Avhich  was 
soon  repaired,  and  after  dragging  the  car  over  the  dehrls^  they 
had  proceeded  but  two  miles  when  they  came  in  sight  of  a  rebel 
camp  on  the  left,  with  a  picket  on  the  track.  But  the  men  pulled 
away  vigorously.  Doubtless,  the  very  boldness  of  the  venture 
lulled  suspicion,  as  the  party  passed  unmolested.  Repairing  the 
line  at  Rolling  Fork  and  Muldraugh's  Hill,  the  men  pushed  on 
safely  to  Elizabethtown,  where  they  arrived  about  five,  p.  m.  It 
was  near  here  that  Buell  supposed  the  train  would  be.  Lehr 
connected  his  instrument,  and  getting  circuit  from  Louisville, 
telegraphically  shouted  to  Bruner,  in  BuelPs  office,  "Glory  to 
God  !  Tell  Buell  I'm  here.  The  train  not  yet  come  up."  Buell 
was  better  off  than  with  his  train,  for  he  was  practically  there, 
while  in  fact,  forty-two  miles  away  with  his  army.  The  train 
was  ordered  to  turn  west  to  the  Ohio  River,  for  transportation 
by  steamers. 

The  next  morning  the  line  was  cut,  and  Lehr  and  comrades 
now  abandoning  the  car,  set  out  to  return  on  foot,  judging  from 
their  unmolested  trip  down,  that  a  cautious  return  afoot  could  be 
safely  made.  All  Avent  well  until  near  Lebanon  Junction,  when 
Lehr  chancing  to  be  ahead,  discovered  about  fifty  Confederate 
cavalrymen  come  out  of  a  neck  of  woods  a  short  distance  beyond. 
Lehr's  assistants  ran  across  a  cornfield,  but  were  overtaken  and 
treated  as  "section  men,"  instead  of  spies,  as  they  really  were  ; 
but  Lehr,  without  being  discovered  at  once,  ran  down  a  bank 
along  the  road,  and,  while  he  was  pressing  forward,  the  cavalry 
passed  in  pursuit  of  the  four  others.  When  he  was  discovered 
he  was  fast  reaching  the  heavy  blackberry  bushes  that  grow  in 
abundance  in  that  section,  and  into  which  it  was  not  easy  to  ride. 
These  were  well  calculated  for  concealment,  and  there  he  eluded 
the  pursuit  of  two  horsemen,  who  soon  gave  up  the  chase.  Lehr 
had  spent  much  time  at  Lebanon  Junction,  a  terminus  of  the 
Gap  line,  and  knew  the  country  and  people,  which  was  a  great 
help.    Staying  that  night  at  a  Union  man's  house,  he,  next  morn- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  291 

ing  took  the  road  and  woods  by  the  road,  until  coming  to  the 
rear  of  a  house  on  his  route,  he  met  a  negress,  who  exclaimed : 
''Lord,  massa,  you  jest  make  yourself  scace,  fo  the  front  room 
am  full  'o  rebs."  At  Shepherdsville,  Lehr  found  a  force  of  rebels 
which  he  could  not  pass  by  day,  so,  feigning  to  be  a  rebel  citizen, 
he  took  tea  at  the  tavern  by  the  side  of  a  Confederate  officer,  and 
waited  for  darkness  before  attempting  to  pass  the  pickets,  which 
he  safely  accomplished,  creeping  stealthily  by.  Finally,  after 
other  narrow  escapes,  Lehr  reached  Louisville,  his  shoes  torn 
and  his  clothes  in  rags.  He  received  congratulations  from  the 
Corps,  and  from  Buell  himself. 

It  was  after  Thomas,  who  brought  up  the  rear,  had  left  Nash- 
ville, that  J.  N.  Crittenton  (operator)  was  directed  to  go  to  Buell 
at  Bowling  Green  ;  so  taking  his  orderly,  he  proceeded  twelve 
miles,  when  he  was  intercepted  by  rebel  cavalry,  and  though  he 
succeeded  in  chewing  up  some  despatches  he  was  carrying,  his 
pocket  instrument,  watch,  horse  and  other  valuables  were  taken 
from  him,  and,  seated  on  a  stolen  hack,  he  rode  with  other 
prisoners  to  a  log  store  where,  the  next  day.  Colonel  Bennett,  of 
the  Texan  Rangers,  paroled  all  and  sent  them  adrift. 

It  was  well  known  to  the  telegraphers  that  Buell  hoped  to 
fight  Bragg  south  of  Green  River,  where  the  latter  for  several 
days  offered  battle;  but  when  Thomas  arrived,  Bragg  decamped. 
Expecting  Bragg's  defeat,  and  that  the  lines  south  would  soon 
be  re-opened,  some  of  the  operators  remained  in  Nashville  until 
that  city  was  completely  isolated.  Quarter  rations,  idleness,  high 
prices  and,  as  a  rule,  no  money,  produced  unendurable  ennxd. 
An  order  from  General  Negley,  the  commander,  forbidding  all 
persons  from  being  out  later  than  nine  p.  m.  ,  produced  an  irre- 
sistible desire  on  the  part  of  the  operators  to  keep  late  hours; 
consequently,  a  pass  given  to  a  lucky  operator  served  many  ev- 
ery night.  But  when  all  had  finally  come  into  the  Cedar  street 
office  and  lain  down  on  the  floor  to  sleep,  the  musical  culex  be- 
gan his  lullaby,  and  the  next  fellow's  boots,  pants  —  anything, 
everything  —  were  hurled  promiscuously  for  an  hour  or  two  un- 
til, patience  and  ammunition  ceasing,  the  boys,  en  deshabille^ 
took  to  the  window  sills  to  smoke  and  cool  off.  When  morning 
came,  "what  a  scene  was  there!  " 

These  things  grew  monotonous,  and  S.  P.  Peabody,  Claude 


292  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Knox,  Kit  Dougherty,  W.  H.  Kelsey,  F.  B.  Tyler,  C.  H.  Pond, 
Joseph  M.  Humphreys  and  one  other  applied  to  Dwyer,  deputy 
superintendent,  for  leave  to  venture  north.  Out  of  the  United 
States  corrals,  containing  ten  thousand  condemned  horses  and 
mules  that  were  starving  to  death,  Dwyer  selected  a  mount  for 
each  applicant,  and  one  fine  morning  about  the  1st  of  October, 
with  fifteen  dollars  each,  besides  a  goodly  supply  of  fire-water, 
but  no  bread,  they  boldly  pushed  out  on  the  Louisville  pike, 
armed  with  revolvers  and  a  letter  addressed  to  Bruch,  saying: 

These  operators  are  thoroughly  disgusted  with  the  war  and  are 
anxious  to  quit  the  service  forever.     So  I  have  discharged  them. 

(Signed)         Con.  Dwyer. 

A  little  below,  to  be  torn  off  if  the  rebels  were  likely  to  capture 
the  boys,  was  a  word  for  any  Union  force  they  might  meet,  as 
follows:  ''The  above  was  intended  only  to  mislead  the  rebels  in 
case  of  capture."  Armed  with  this  double  back-action  pass,  the 
boys  felt  reasonably  secure.  Pond  and  Dougherty  were  poorest 
mounted  and  soon  fell  in  the  rear.  About  two,  p.  m.,  they 
passed  a  native,  well  armed,  whose  horse  looked  very  like  Ty- 
ler's; but  no  questions  were  obtruded,  as  it  was  considered 
highly  impertinent  to  interrogate  an  armed  stranger  about  horse- 
stealing. An  hour  later,  Tyler  was  espied,  trudging  wearily  in 
his  new  shoes,  intended  for  smaller  feet.  "  Hello,  Tyler,  where's 
your  horse  ?  "  "  Oh,  a  gentleman  with  a  double-barrelled  shot- 
gun fancied  it.  Had  to  yield  to  superior  arms  and  overwhelm- 
ing force,  you  know."  Giving  Tyler  an  occasional  ride,  the 
three  were  about  to  enter  Springfield,  when  a  voice  cried,  ' '  Halt 

thar,  d you  ! "     Five  of  Dick  McCann's  guerrillas  took  the 

three  operators  to  the  Springfield  tavern,  where  they  were  duly 
robbed.  The  pass  was  discovered  entire  by  one  of  the  chivalry, 
who  proceeded  to  spell  it  out ;  but  Pond,  equal  to  the  trying 
emergency,  volunteered  to  read  the  letter,  saying  he  was  famil- 
iar with  the  writing,  and  was  allowed  to  do  so.  Of  course  he 
omitted  the  fatal  addendum  and  was  then  allowed  to  retain  the 
paper,  which  he  soon  destroyed.  The  operators  were  released 
on  parole  and  moved  on.  Sleeping  in  corn-fields,  begging  some- 
thing to  eat  or  foraging  it,  they  finally  reached  Bowling  Green, 
where  Martin  Barth,  operator,  gave  Miem  a  welcome,  and  in 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  293 

about  two  weeks  they  arrived  at  Louisville,  penniless,  ragged, 
dirty  and  in  summer  clothes.  The  other  five  operators  fared  no 
better.  Peabody  was  usually  the  spokesman,  and  an  audacious 
one  he  proved  to  be.  More  years  have  made  him  wonder  at  his 
temerity.  Of  course  these  five  were  captured  and  paroled  by 
every  band  they  met.  One  night,  while  sleeping  in  a  fence  cor- 
ner, one  of  the  operators  was  startled  by  a  great  snake  crawling 
over  him.  Shrieking  aloud,  "My  God  ! "  he  awakened  the  oth- 
ers, who  were,  if  possible,  more  frightened  than  he. 

The  following  letter  from  Bruch  will  explain  how  poorly  the 
operators  fared  at  this  time: 

Nearly  all  of  my  operators  who  have  been  working  in  Tennes- 
see and  Alabama,  are  arriving  here  now.  By  command  of  General 
Buell,  two  were  assigned  to  each  division  of  his  army,  to  continue 
with  the  army  as  "  division  operators,"  to  connect  their  instruments 
wherever  they  might  come  to  a  telegraph.  Moving  in  this  way, 
most  of  them  have  spent  all  their  money  and  worn  out  th^ir  clothes. 
Some  of  them  have  had  nothing  to  eat  for  a  day  or  two,  and  no 
money  to  buy  anything.  They  come  to  me  begging  and  imploring 
for  money,  and  I  can  not  bear  to  turn  them  off.  So  I  have  loaned 
them  enough  to  keep  body  and  soul  together  for  a  few  days,  in 
hopes  that  the  August  funds  will  be  along  by  the  time  that  runs 
out. 

Among  those  included  in  the  above,  none  suffered  so  severely  as 
H.  C.  Vincent,  who  nearly  died  of  fever  in  a  Louisville  hotel, 
for  want  of  proper  care. 

Cincinnati  being  safe,  General  Gordon  Granger  came  to  Lou- 
isville and  took  command  at  Shepherdsville,  eighteen  miles 
south  of  the  latter  city,  and  awaited  the  concentration  of  Buell's 
forces  north  of  him.  W.  H.  Drake,  who  spelled  Lebanon  Junc- 
tion for  Morgan's  operator  in  July,  was  still  operating  there. 
He  was  the  sole  Yankee  occupant,  but  had  made  friends  with  his 
landlord,  Harvey  Wells,  by  advising  him  of  the  approach  of 
guerrillas,  from  time  to  time,  so  that  the  latter  could  hide  his 
horses,  a-nd  now  Harvey  advised  Drake  to  "skip,"  as  a  detachment 
of  the  First  Georgia  Cavalry,  under  Hood,  was  approaching ; 
whereupon,  Drake,  mounting  his  charger,  hastened  to  Shep- 
herdsville and  informed  Granger,  who,  giving  Drake  a  fresh 


THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

horse,  made  him  conduct  one  hundred  men  of  the  Fourth  Indi- 
ana Cavalry  in  search  of  the  enemy.  Confederates  were  soon 
found  ;  they  beat  a  hasty  retreat  toward  Boston,  at  which  place 
they  were  run  into  Wheeler's  wagon  train,  and  its  guard  stam- 
peded. Drake,  with  eight  men,  in  front  of  old  man  Arnot's 
house,  received  the  surrender  of  the  wagon  train  and  a  lieuten- 
ant, whose  sword,  revolver  and  dirk  Drake  appropriated.  He 
was  just  giving  orders  to  burn  the  train,  when,  lo!  a  cloud  of 
dust  arose  ahead  and  the  tramp  of  horses  from  the  direction  of 
Bardstown  advised  Drake  to  take  the  swamp  rcJad  about  as  ftist 
as  his  horse  could  go.  Six  of  his  eight  men  left  him  at  the 
railroad.  They  were  all  killed.  At  the  turn  on  top  of  the  hill 
by  the  railroad,  Drake  and  his  two  companions  came  face  to  face 
with  two  rebels,  who  tried  to  handle  their  guns.  That  fright- 
ened him,  as  well  it  might,  but  fortunately  he  shot  quickly, 
though  without  hitting,  and  yelled,  "  surrender! "  which,  to 
Drake's  surprise,  they  did.  The  prisoners  were  taken  safely  to 
the  Junction,  where  the  rest  of  the  Indiana  cavalry  were,  and 
where  Drake  left  his  sword  and  belt  —  trophies  of  his  valor  — 
with  Aunt  Maria,  Wells'  negress,  from  whom  the  lieutenant  re- 
covered his  property  a  week  later. 

Buell,  always  slow,  with  one  hundred  thousand  men  now  in 
hand,  would  have  been  superseded  by  Thomas  if  the  latter  had 
accepted  the  appointment.  Thus  spurred,  Buell  moved  after 
Bragg  at  Bardstown,  and  Smith  at  Frankfort,  October  1st. 
Bragg  and  Smith  united,  and  about  half  past  two  p.  m.,  of  the 
seventh,  the  sanguinary  engagement  at  Perryville  began.  About 
forty  thousand  Confederates  pressed  McCook's  corps  for  hours, 
when  he  was  only  feebly  reinforced,  notwithstanding  Buell  had 
a  larger  army  at  command,  than  his  adversary.  In  that  terrible 
struggle  of  a  few,  against  the  many  massed  in  repeated  charges, 
the  Federals  alone  lost  four  thousand,  three  hundred  and  forty- 
eight,  of  whom  nine  hundred  and  sixteen  were  killed  and  two 
thousand,  nine  hundred  and  forty-three  wounded.  Bragg  con- 
ceded a  loss  (tf  twenty-five  hundred  men.  The  Confederates 
retreated,  and  the  next  time  they  presented  themselves  they 
were  at  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  threatening  the  State  capital. 

Owing  to  this  invasion,  every  mile  of  Federal  telegraph  in 
the  department,  of  which  there  were  seven  hundred  and  seventy- 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  295 

three,  was  abandoned,  besides  about  three  hundred  miles  of 
railroad  telegraph  and  say  two  hundred  miles  of  commercial 
wire;  making  the  great  total  of  one  thousand,  two  hundred  and 
seventy-three  miles  of  line. 

Great  was  the  disappointment  in  the  North  at  the  impotent 
conclusion  of  Buell's  campaign.  He  had  been  directed  to  move 
on  East  Tennessee,  but  he  urged  the  necessity  of  going  to  Nash- 
ville, and  sent  troops  to  Bowling  Green.  In  this  position  of 
affairs  General  Rosecrans  superseded  Buell  (October  30).  The 
new  department  was  designated  as  that  of  the  "Cumberland,"  and 
the  army,  the  "Fourteenth  Army  Corps."  Captain  Bruch's  re- 
port sufficiently  explains  telegraphic  operations  from  the  time 
of  BuelPs  advance  from  Louisville,  to  his  movement  on  Bowling 
Green,  and  is  as  follows  :  . 

When  the  army  advanced  to  Lexington,  we  followed  it,  and  re- 
paired lines  to  Nicholasville  in  the  latter  part  of  October.  We  also 
followed  the  army  of  the  Ohio,  under  Major  General  Buell,  through 
Central  Kentucky  in  the  same  month,  repaired  the  lines  and  kept 
him  in  telegraphic  communication  until  he  crossed  over  to  Bowling 
Green,  Ky.  The  following  lines  were  repaired  in  his  wake:  Louis- 
ville to  Bardstown,  Lebanon,  Danville,  Stamford,  Somerset  and 
Mount  Vernon,  and  from  Lebanon  to  Columbia — also  Louisville  to 
Bowling  Green. 

On  the  9th  of  November,  just  three  months  from  the  inter- 
ruption of  the  telegraphic  communication  with  Louisville  by  the 
destruction  of  Salt  River  bridge,  the  van  of  the  Fourteenth  Army 
Corps,  entered  Nashville,  when  the  beleaguered  denizens  and 
soldiers  were  rejoiced  beyond  measure.  During  the  operations 
in  Kentucky,  General  Negley  was  left  in  command  at  Nashville 
with  about  nine  thousand  troops.  Fortifications  around  the  city 
havinof  been  in  course  of  construction  all  summer,  were  well  ad- 
vanced  when  Buell  left.  Four  thousand  negroes  were  impressed 
to  work  on  them,  and  their  completion  followed  in  apt  time.  A 
telegraph  line  was  run  to  the  various  forts  and  military  head- 
quarters, and  until  eight  operators  were  permitted  to  go  North, 
the  lines  were  open  day  and  night.  It  was  expected  that  in  case 
of  an  attack,  Negley  would  be  able  to  direct  operations  from 
Fort  Negley,   that  fortress  being  the   key,   and  commanding 


296  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

nearly  the  whole  sweep  of  country,  including  the  city  and  the 
river  north  of  it.  Nitric  acid  failing,  sulphuric  was  substituted 
in  the  batteries  with  success.  The  operators'  quarters  at  the 
forts  were  uninviting;  H.  W.  Plum  was  cozily  situated  at  Neg- 
ley's  handsome  head-quaters  in  the  city,  Robert  Wagner  was 
at  Fort  Confiscation,  the  author  at  Fort  Negley,  Ellis  J.  Wilson 
at  General  Palmer's  and  Con.  Dwyer  had  the  whole  city  office 
to  himself.  It  is  due  to  the  worthy  chief  to  say,  that  but  for 
Major  Fitzgibbons,  who  was  au.fait  in  all  moonlight  accom- 
plishments, Dwyer  would  have  known  less  of  the  city  by  candle 
light. 

Provisions  were  very  scarce;  foraging  parties  were  regularly 
attacked  by  General  Anderson's  cavalry;  Negley  was  repeatedly 
summoned  to  surrender;  feigned  attacks  were  frequent,  and  un- 
pleasant  rumors  constant.  We  were  awakened  at  all  hours  of 
the  night  to  receive  telegraphic  orders  and  transmit  information. 
For  forty-five  days  we  received  no  intelligence  whatever  from 
the  North.  By  a  Richmond  paper  we  learned  that  "the  troops 
in  Nashville  had  been  compelled  to  surrender  because  starvation 
was  threatened,"  hence  we  were  extremely  concerned  to  assure  our 
anxious  friends  at  home,  who  oftener  than  we,  heard  of  our  cap- 
ture, that  in  fact  all  was  well.  General  Breckenridge  had  been 
directed  by  Bragg,  who  detached  a  considerable  force  for  that 
purpose,  to  capture  the  city.  Bragg,  from  Bardstown,  Ky., 
ordered  Van  Dorn  up  from  Mississippi  to  sweep  Nashville  and 
Bowling  Green,  and,  after  possessing  their  armaments,  unite 
with  Bragg  and  Smith  in  holding  at  least  the  line  of  the  Cum- 
berland and  Tennessee  rivers,  but  he  came  not. 

During  the  blockade  of  the  city,  Confederate  General  Mor- 
gan was  reported  at  Gallatin,  Tenn. ,  on  the  Louisville  &  Nash- 
ville Railroad,  and  Negley  arranged  to  send  General  Miller  with 
a  brigade  by  rail  at  night,  to  leave  the  cars  at  a  point  two  or 
three  miles  from  Gallatin,  and  to  strike  and  destroy  Morgan's 
force  if  possible  at  daylight.  An  operator  being  required  for 
the  expedition,  the  author  volunteered.  All  were  aboard  by 
midnight,  and  the  trains  moved  as  quietly  as  possible  to  their 
destination.  The  artillery  was  landed  and  the  infantry  ready  to 
advance,  when  General  Miller  requested  the  operator  to  connect 
his  instrument  and  ask  Nashville  if  all  was  well.     Doing  so,  he 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  297 

received  a  telegram  from  Major  Slidell  of  Buell's  staff,  who  re- 
mained in  the  city,  stating  that  Nashville  was  threatened,  and 
Miller  must  return  immediately,  which  he  did  with  his  force  and 
with  a  heavy  heart,  to  find  that  it  was  but  another  rumor.  Thus 
Morgan  escaped.  On  the  fifth  day  of  November,  General  Mor- 
gan attacked  the  Federals  protecting  the  railroad  bridge  over  the 
Cumberland,  and  Forrest  and  Hanson  drove  in  the  pickets  on  the 
city  side  of  the  river.  A  section  of  light  artillery  opened  fire  on 
Fort  Negley.  Morgan  was  driven  off  with  a  loss  of  twenty-four 
killed,  and  wounded.  It  was  rare  sport  for  those  in  Fort 
Negley  to  watch  the  rebel  shells  fall  far  short  of  the  fort,  while 
the  Federal  gunners  were  most  perplexed  to  train  their  guns  so 
as  not  to  over-shoot  the  mark.  There  were  at  this  time  about 
seven  thousand  Confederates  on  the  south  side,  which  added  to 
Morgan's  force  in  Edgefield,  fully  equaled  the  number  of  the 
garrison.  Breckenridge  ordered  the  retirement  of  Forrest's  and 
Hanson's  troops  when  they  were  about  to  assault,  then  Negley 
advanced  on  the  Franklin  road,  severely  punishing  the  enemy 
found  on  that  pike. 

The  day  the  Federal  advance,  by  forced  marches,  entered 
Nashville,  the  Louisville  line  was  restored  to  Gallatin,  Tenn.,  by 
repairers  under  Bart  Brady,  and  two  days  after,  it  was  repaired 
to  Nashville.  November  24,  a  second  wire  was  also  completed 
thereto.  About  the  1st  of  December,  Colonel  Bruce  recaptured 
Clarkesville,  Tenn.,  and  during  that  month  the  line  from  Bowling 
Green  to  Cairo,  via  Clarksville  and  Fort  Donelson,  was  restored. 
On  the  7th  of  December,  General  Morgan  captured  a  force  of  six- 
teen hundred  Federals,  at  Hartsville,  by  the  blundering  of  Colo- 
nel Moore  and  misconduct  of  his  raw  troops.  On  the  ninth, 
Colonel  Stanley  Matthews'  brigade,  four  times  in  one  day, 
repulsed  rebel  General  Wheeler's  force,  attacking  Matthews' 
foraging  train,  on  the  Murfreesboro  road.  December  21,  Gen- 
eral Carter,  with  nearly  three  regiments  of  cavalry,  entered  the 
Confederate  lines  about  forty  miles  north-east  of  Cumberland 
Gap,  and  struck  the  railroad  east  of  Knoxville,  destroying 
bridges  over  the  Watauga  and  Holston  rivers,  and  otherwise 
greatly  damaging  the  road.  Frequent  skirmishing  occurred 
between  detachments. 

''Old  Rosy,"  as  his  soldiers  were  pleased  to  speak  of  their 


298  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

new  commander,  who  came  to  them  fresh  from  his  splendid  vic- 
tory at  Corinth,  held  the  telegraph  service  in  very  high  esteem. 
By  his  direction,  Assistant  Manager  Dwyer  assigned  one  opera- 
tor to  each  division,  and  two  to  each  wing  and  the  center  head- 
quarters. W.  L.  Tidd  organized  a  gang  of  builders,  to  follow 
Rosecrans,  who  was  preparing  to  attack  Bragg  at  Murfreesboro. 
Another  party  was  directed  to  proceed  on  the  Franklin  road, 
when  Rosecrans  advanced.  The  labor  incident  to  the  reorganiza- 
tion and  partial  re-equipment  of  the  army,  and  repair  of  the  rail- 
road ;  the  accumulation  of  necessarily  vast  quantities  of  quarter- 
master, commissary  and  ordnance  stores,  preparatory  to  an  ad- 
vance of  the  whole  army,  on  a  new  campaign,  and  the  communi- 
cations to  and  from  Washington,  respecting  plans  of  operation, 
involved  an  immense  amount  of  telegraphic  work,  without  which 
Rosecrans  could  not  have  moved  his  army  for  weeks  after  Decem- 
ber 26,  when  it  began  to  advance  to  the  scenes  of  its  seven  days' 
battle.  Bruner  and  Mullarkey,  Rosecrans'  operators,  rode  with 
the  General,  and  attended  to  all  telegraphic  correspondence. 
Couriers  were  in  readiness  at  all  times  to  be  sent  to  the  nearest 
telegraph  office.  J.  A.  Fuller  was  operator  with  the  line  build- 
ers, and  was  busy  constantly,  sending  and  receiving  dispatches. 

Rosecrans'  effective  force  was  about  forty-six  thousand  men. 
Bragg,  as  we  have  seen  in  a  former  chapter,  had  sent  Forrest 
into  West  Tennessee,  to  operate  against  Grant's  railroads  north 
of  Jackson.  Morgan  was  in  Kentucky  on  another  raid.  Kirby 
Smith's  forces,  except  nine  thousand  sent  to  the  aid  of  Pember- 
ton  near  Grenada,  came  up  from  Knoxville,  and  at  the  time  of 
Rosecrans'  advance,  Bragg  held  at  Murfreesboro,  or  within 
easy  support,  thirty-five  thousand  troops,  most  of  whom  were 
more  experienced  in  war  than  the  Federals. 

On  the  evening  of  the  twenty-sixth,  Crittenden's  (the  left) 
advance  reached  LaVergne,  half  way  to  Murfreesboro,  when  tel- 
egraphic communication  was  promptly  established  with  Nash- 
ville. Thomas'  and  McCook's  corps  continued  to  advance  with 
Crittenden's,  meeting  more  or  less  resistance  each  day,  until  the 
thirtieth,  when  the  two  armies  confronted  one  another,  westerly 
from  Murfreesboro  and  near  the  line  of  Stone  River,  from 
which  the  battle,  then  impending,  is  named.  A  conflict  was 
momentarily  expected-    Neither  party  was  quite  ready,  but  either 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  299 

might  precipitate  it.  The  telegraph  was  working  to  La  Vergne, 
but  passing  artillery,  trains  and  troops  had  obstructed  the  road 
so  that  Tidd's  building  material  was  advanced  slowly.  Rose- 
crans'  head-quarters  were  but  four  miles  in  advance,  and  Tidd 
strove  to  reach  there  that  night.  Wheeler's  cavalry,  however, 
suddenly  burst  into  the  village  and  captured  foreman  Tidd's 
entire  party,  teams  and  all  ;  burned  all  the  material  and  private 
property,  and  then  hastily  paroled  all  but  builder  Clark,  reported 
missing.  Fuller  had  been  busily  engaged  receiving  messages  for 
officers  with  the  army,  and  forwarding  them  by  a  part  of  the 
Fourth  U.  S.  Cavalry,  serving  as  couriers.  He  had  just  received 
a  message  for  Rosecrans,  notifying  him  that  Anderson's  cavalry 
(a  ^'high-toned"  lot  of  Pennsylvanians)  was  escorting  a  large 
wagon  train  of  ammunition,  and  advising  him  to  send  more  reli- 
able troops  to  keep  them  company.  A  courier  started  with  this 
and  other  messages,  but  hastily  returned,  saying  Wheeler  had 
captured  a  large  provision  train  and  was  coming  to  the  office. 
The  operator  quickly  told  Nashville  ;  burned  the  messages  he 
had  sent ;  thrust  his  instrument  into  his  pocket ;  mounted  his 
horse,  a  present  from  General  Crittenden,  and  rode  about  five 
hundred  yards  and  into  a  regiment  of  the  enemy.  Fuller  here  met 
the  courier  above  mentioned,  who  had  the  telegrams  in  his  pos- 
session, but  by  Fuller's  direction  he  tore  them  into  small  pieces. 
These  were  scattered  about,  and  created  quite  a  stir  among  the 
captors.  General  Wheeler  ascertained  that  telegrams  had  been 
destroyed,  and  thereupon  search  was  made  for  the  operator,  who 
was  dressed  in  soldier's  clothes.  Wheeler  took  the  messenger 
among  the  prisoners,  to  identify  him,  but  the  courier  passed 
close  by  Fuller,  whom  he  would  not  recognize.  Failing  to  dis- 
cover the  operator,  the  General  threatened  the  courier,  when 
Fuller  made  himself  known.  Wheeler  then  stated  that  he  could 
not  think  of  leaving  the  operator  behind,  to  report  him  the  min- 
ute his  back  was  turned,  and  ordered  a  soldier  to  mount 
Fuller  on  a  mule  and  guard  him.  This  soldier  robbed  him 
of  thirty-five  dollars.  Federal  Colonel  Walker's  men  now  fell 
upon  Wheeler,  and,  mistaking  the  prisoners  for  enemies,  fired 
into  them  with  cannon,  whereby  Tidd's  right  arm  was  struck 
and  shattered  by  a  ten-pound  ball.  In  the  confusion  that  followed 
the  sudden  appearance  of  the  Federals,  Fuller  got  the  start  of 


300  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

his  guard,  and  succeeded,  under  fire,  in  gaining  a  hospital  and 
closing  the  door  on  the  pursuing  rebel,  who  hurried  to  his  com- 
mand. Eight  hundred  prisoners  and  all  the  horses  and  mules 
were  recaptured.  Fuller  returned  to  the  line  and  notified  Nash- 
ville what  had  happened. 

Each  commander  had  planned  to  crush  the  right  wing  of  the 
other  on  the  last  day  of  1862;  but  Bragg's  movements  were 
soonest  executed,  and  before  Rosecrans  had  fairly  developed  his 
own  plan,  he  was  forced  to  take  the  defensive  to  save  his  army. 
McCook's  corps  was  terribly  cut  up,  and  the  Nashville  pike  so 
crowded  with  frightened  soldiers,  flying  from  the  dreadful 
scenes  that  had  unmanned  them,  as  to  impede  the  progress  of 
HascalPs  brigade,  which  was  seeking  to  join  the  main  army. 
Rosecrans'  trains  were  also  hastening  forward  with  ammunition 
and  food,  when  they  were  checked  by  these  terrified  men,  some 
of  whom  continued  their  flight  to  Nashville  itself,  spreading 
their  terrible  stories  of  the  destruction  of  Rosecrans'  army  as 
they  advanced,  so  that  every  teamster  was  also  ready  to  fly. 
That  night  was  full  of  doubt  and  dread  in  the  capital  city.  Evil 
rumors  were  repeated  and  magnified ;  no  comforting  reports 
came  from  the  front.  The  telegraph  office  was  besieged  by  anx- 
ious officials.  The  sound  of  artillery  could  occasionally  be 
heard,  faint  and  distant.  Rebel  citizens  professed  to  know  of 
the  defeat  of  the  Federals.  Late  at  nio:ht  came  the  news  that 
nothing  was  decided  except  that  Rosecrans  had  determined  to 
win  or  die  on  that  battle  field.  The  new  year  opened  ominously, 
for  when  the  operators  were  eagerly  listening  to  every  click  of 
the  instrument  on  the  Murfreesboro  line  there  came  a  silence, 
long  and  burdensome;  the  telegraph  line  had  given  out.  What 
could  it  mean  ?  Was  the  aripy  indeed  defeated,  and  would  the 
next  report  confirai  the  chilling  rumors  ?  How  painful  is  silence 
under  circumstances  like  these!  A  fortune  for  a  moment's  con- 
versation with  the  advance  operator!  But  no;  the  magnet  is  as 
still  as  death.  The  electric  tongue  is  hushed,  and  a  nation  trem- 
blingly waits.  How  this  suspense  spreads!  The  great  centers 
of  industry  are  muffled  in  impotent  anxiousness,  as  if  the  sword 
of  Damocles  was  suspended  over  them. 

Message  after  message  comes  from  the  North,  from  the  Pres- 
ident, the  War  Secretary,  the  Governors  and  others,  not  to  men- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  301 

tion  the  cruel  speculators,  all,  all  craving  news  from  the  front. 
Then  come  a  great  number  of  telegrams  from  dear  ones,  seeking 
answers  which  can  not  be  obtained.  How  terrible,  indeed,  is 
war!  You,  who  are  wont  to  recommend  it,  go  read  the  files  of 
telegrams,  fall  of  groans,  of  tears,  of  measureless  distress,  that 
pass  a  focal  telegraphic  point  after  such  a  struggle  as  occurred 
near  Stone  River,  December  31;  then  you  can  count  some  of  tlie 
cost,  which  is  not  in  property  alone,  not  to  the  wounded  or  dying 
alone,  but  to  the  whole  nation  as  individuals,  all  of  whom  are, 
sooner  or  later,  wounded  in  person  or  by  friend.  Aye,  more; 
homesickness,  fevers,  hunger  and  cold,  in  the  field;  sleepless- 
ness, anxiety,  which  gnaws  as  a  canker  worm,  and  want,  at 
home;  these  and  death  are  war's  ingredients,  to  comprehend 
which,  in  their  bitterne&s,  needs  sad  experience,  for  they  can  no 
more  be  described  than  Parrhasius  "  could  paint  a  dying  groan." 

At  two  p.  M.,  of  the  first,  Wheeler  and  Wharton's  cavalry 
dashed  again  upon  Rosecrans'  roadway  at  La  Vergne,  capturing 
part  of  his  trains  and  scattering  the  rest  in  wildest  confusion. 
The  telegraph  was  considerably  injured,  the  operator  driven  off 
and  his  instrument  destroyed.  This  was  the  cause  of  that  dread- 
ful silence,  which  every  one  interpreted  according  as  his  hopes 
or  fears  predominated.  But  towards  evening,  when  the  panic- 
stricken  teamsters  entered  the  city,  stoutly  asserting  that  Bragg's 
whole  army  was  following,  confusion  ran  confounded,  and 
"  What's  the  news  ? "  was  asked  only  in  whispers. 

Col.  Innis,  of  the  gallant  First  Michigan  Engineers,  infused 
his  own  valor  into  his  fine  regiment,  and  the  rebels  who  at- 
tacked his  position  at  La  Vergne  were  again  and.  again  repulsed. 

Wheeler's  object  was  to  discover  if  Rosecrans  was  retreating. 
The  night  of  the  thirty  first  had  left  him  twenty-eight  guns  less 
than  the  morning;  he  had  given  up  much  ground.  Three  thousand 
wounded  and  hundreds  of  Federal  dead  marked  how  it  had  been 
contested;  three  thousand  unhurt  Unionists  were  captured. 
Withal,  it  was  a  disastrous  day  to  the  Federals,  but  not  without 
somewhat  of  compensatory  injury  to  the  Confederate  left.  No 
wonder  Bragg  was  amazed  at  Rosecrans'  apparent  obstinacy  and 
stood  with  folded  arms  throughout  the  first,  awaiting  reports 
from  Wheeler.  On  the  second,  Bragg's  right,  under  Brecken- 
ridge,  charged,  driving  two  Federal  brigades  off  the  field  too 


302  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

easily,  for  other  Union  troops  and  fifty-eight  cannon  opened 
upon  his  forces  in  front  and  flank  and  hurled  them  back  in  great 
disorder,  less  two  thousand  killed  or  wounded :  thus  ended  the 
battle  of  Stone  River.  On  the  night  of  the  third,  Bragg  retired 
to  Tullahoma,  behind  the  Duck  River.  His  losses  in  battle, 
killed  or  wounded,  were  admitted  to  exceed  nine  thousand,  be- 
sides over  one  thousand  prisoners,  and  Rosecrans'  casualties 
were  reported  as  1,533  killed,  7,245  wounded  and  nearly  3,000 
missing. 

Dwyer's  brother  and  James  Galvin,  foremen,  restored  the 
line  to  Murfreesboro.  The  evening  of  the  last  day  of  the 
battle,  Rosecrans  rejoiced  many  anxious  hearts  by  his  tele- 
graphic report,  and  on  the  fifth,  having  reported  the  occupation 
of  Murfreesboro,  the  following  telegram  was  received  : 

Washington,  January  5,  1863. 
Maj.  Gen.  Rosecrans: 

Your  despatch,  announcing  the  retreat  of  the  enemy,  has  just 
reached  me.  God  bless  you  and  all  with  you.  Please  tender  to  all 
and  accept  for  yourself  the  nation's  gratitude,  for  your  and  their 
skill,  endurance  and  dauntless  courage. 

(Signed)  A.  Lincoln. 

To  which  the  General  replied,  urgently  asking  the  President  to 
furnish  that  army  with  a  uniform  arm,  adding  that  the  battle  of 
Stone  River  was  almost  lost  by  reason  of  the  difficulty  in  sup- 
plying ammunition.     On  the  ninth,  Halleck  telegraphed : 

General  —  Rebel  telegrams  fully  confirm  your  telegrams  from 
the  battle  field.  The  victory  was  well  earned  and  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  of  the  war.  You  and  your  brave  army  have  won  the  grat- 
itude of  your  country  and  the  admiration  of  the  world.  The  field 
of  Murfreesboro  is  made  historical,  and  future  generations  will 
point  out  the  place  where  so  many  heroes  fell  gloriously  in  defense 
of  the  constitution  and  the  Union.  All  honor  to  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland.  Thanks  to  the  living  and  tears  for  the  lamented 
dead. 

It  was  indeed  fortunate  that  the  line  leading  north  from  Nash- 
Tille,  via  Clarksville,  Fort  Donelson,  Paducah  and  Cairo,  had 
been  repaired  soon  after  Colonel  Bruce   occupied  Clarksville, 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  303 

else  there  would  have  been  no  telegraphic  outlet  during  most  of 
Rosecrans'  operations,  as  two  days  before  he  left  Nashville  that, 
ubiquitous  leader.  General  John  H.  Morgan,  with  three  thousand 
riders,  again  struck  the  L.  &  N.  R.  R.  and  the  telegraph  along 
its  route.  Crossing  the  Cumberland  once  more,  he  again  cap- 
tured Glasgow  (December  24)  from  which  place  he  raided  the 
railroad,  until  the  twenty-ninth,  destroying  the  telegraph  and 
road  for  many  miles,  capturing  a  number  of  detachments,  posts 
and  stations  and  quantities  of  supplies,  and  finally  crossing  the 
Cumberland  about  Jamestown,  returned  to  Bragg,  at  Tullahoma. 
The  Bardstown  line  was  also  destroyed,  and  operators  Thomas  H. 
Smith  and  J.  E.  Nagle  driven  off.  The  principal  injury  to  the 
telegraph,  however,  was  from  Bacon  Creek  to  the  Rolling  Fork, 
on  the  main  line.  Morgan  avoided  Munfordsville  where  the  Fed- 
erals were  too  strong.  At  this  place,  James  and  A.  C.  Jones 
operated.  James  began  repairing  the  line  as  soon  as  it  was  safe ; 
but  as  many  of  the  poles  were  cut  and  burned  and  the  line 
twisted  around  trees  or  hid  in  the  woods  or  creeks,  it  was  like 
rebuilding  without  proper  forces  and  appliances,  and  hence  slow 
progress  was  made,  but  another  party  started  from  the  north  side 
of  the  break  and  met  Jones  at  Elizabethtown,  where  the  connect- 
inof  splice  was  made.  Among  the  first  messages  that  passed  was 
a  special  to  the  Philadelphia  Press,  giving  some  account  of  Rose- 
crans' success.  J.  C.  Dorchester,  operator  at  General  Boyle's 
head-quarters  in  Louisville,  copied  it  for  the  General's  informa- 
tion. Boyle  gave  it  to  the  press,  provoking  much  discussion  as  to 
the  right  of  property  in  such  telegrams. 

On  the  ninth  day  of  January,  1863,  John  Clark  VanDuzer, 
from  Grant's  department,  was  appointed  Second  Assistant  Super- 
intendent U.  S.  Military  Telegraphs,  and  assigned  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Cumberland,  where  he  found  himself  once  more  in 
intimate  official  relation  with  Rosecrans,  with  whom  he  had  been 
at,  and  prior  to,  the  battle  of  Corinth.  So  highly  did  Rosecrans 
appreciate  VanDuzer  and  the  telegraph,  that  he  complimented 
him  with  an  honorary  appointment  of  captain,  and  attached  him 
to  his  staff,  but  VanDuzer  had  no  actual  military  status  until 
October,  1863,  when  he  was  commissioned  captain  and  assist- 
ant quarter  -  master.  Captain  VanDuzer  is  one  of  those  rare 
men  who  can  be  familiar  with  subordinates  without  detracting 


304 


THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 


from  his  proper  influence  over  them.  His  command  was  none 
the  less  law  because  pleasantly  given.  He  has  been  mentioned 
as  the  only  fighting  officer  in  the  corps.  The  fact  is  that  the 
officers  had,  as  a  rule,  but  little  opportunity  to  distinguish  them- 
selves in  that  way,  but  VanDuzer,  from  the  beginning  made  it  a 
point  to  share  all  the  dangers  incident  to  the  military  teleg- 
rapher's position  on  a  campaign. 

John  C.  YanDuzer 
was  a  New  York  and 
New  England  boy. 
Born  in  Erie  County, 
New  York  (1827),  and 
obtaining  a  common 
school  education,  he 
early  sought  that  oft- 
tried  and  generally 
successful  institution — 
the  printing  office — in 
which  to  complete  his 
education,  and  to 
"finish"  it  also,  prob- 
ably, for  after  spending 
the  best  years  of  his 
eventful  life  and  gain- 
ing a  splendid  reputa- 
tion as  a  telegrapher,  he 
now  sits  in  a  Northern 
city,  within  the  sound  of  his  press  and  mallet,  his  scissors  and  paste 
at  one  elbow,  his  exchanges  at  another,  pencil  over  ear  and  pen  in 
hand,  surrounded  by  all  the  paraphernalia  of  his  first  business 
love,  and  is,  perhaps,  as  happy  as  when  helping  Generals  Kosecrans 
and  Thomas,  Grant  and  Sherman,  conquer  peace  m  Tennessee, 
Mississippi,  Alabama  and  Georgia.  His  first  experience  in  a  print- 
ing office  was  in  Utica,  New  York,  whence  he  went  to  another  in 
New  Haven,  Ct.  It  was  not  long  after,  that  he  edited  and  pub- 
lished a  country  newspaper,  in  Connecticut.  How  well  he  suc- 
ceeded, we  are  unadvised,  but  as  we  next  hear  of  him  at  the 
head  of  another  country  paper,  back  in  New  York,  it  is  due  him 
to  assume  that  he  was  about  as  unsuccessful  in  his  first  business 


JOHN  C.  VANDUZER. 


CIVIL  WAR   IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  305 

venture  as  young  men  usually  are.  It  was  while  thus  engaged 
in  New  York,  that  he  learned  to  telegraph.  That  was  in  1848, 
a  time  when  newspaper  men  began  to  realize  the  possibilities  of 
the  telegraph,  which  drew  to  its  aid  many  young  men  who  had 
already  become  expert  compositors. 

VanDuzer  easily  obtained  employment  at  a  small  salary,  for 
in  those  days  even  skilled  operators  received  less  than  a  begin- 
ner does  now.  But  there  were  few  experts.  Messages  were 
then  received  entirely  by  paper.  It  was  not  until  about  1846, 
tllat  reading  by  ear  was  thought  of,  and  then  its  possibility  was 
demonstrated.  Nevertheless,  until  some  years  later,  telegraph- 
ing by  sound  was  considered  so  unreliable  that  it  was  prohibited 
by  those  in  authority.  VanDuzer's  first  office  was  on  J.  J. 
Speed's  lines.  More  lucrative  positions  were  soon  open  to  him, 
consequently  we  note  his  employment  next  on  the  Western 
Union  (then  a  small  company)  wires,  and  later  on  the  Erie  Rail- 
road lines.  It  was  on  this  road  that  the  system  of  running  trains 
on  telegraphic  orders  was  introduced  first  in  this  country,  and 
the  world,  by  the  late  General  D.  C.  McCallum,  who,  in  the 
civil  war,  managed  the  mihtary  railroads  with  marked  success. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  VanDuzer,  full  of  zeal  for  the 
Union,  and  of  energy  for  any  good  undertaking,  heartily  re- 
sponded. We  have  already  noted  his  services  in  Missouri,  West- 
ern Tennessee,  Alabama  and  Mississippi,  in  all  of  which  he  was 
indefatigable  in  his  efibrts  to  keep  the  armies  in  telegraphic  com- 
munication. His  promotion  in  the  service  which  had  so  few 
officers,  was  as  clearly  deserved  as  that  of  any  officer  in  the 
corps,  and  rejoiced  his  operators  who  were  devotedly  attached  to 
him. 

Under  VanDuzer's  direction,  the  line  was  re-opened  in  Jan- 
uary, to  Franklin,  Tenn.,  where  General  Gordon  Granger  was 
posted,  and  Ellis  J.  Wilson  operated,  assisted  in  May  and  June 
by  W.  R.  Plum.  It  was  June  8,  that  Lawrence  A.  Williams 
and Dunlap,  respectively  colonel  and  lieutenant  in  the  Con- 
federate service,  with  forged  orders  purporting  to  come  from 
Washington  and  Rosecrans,  presumed  to  inspect  the  Federal 
defenses  about  Franklin.  Their  conduct  excited  suspicion,  and 
the  telegraph  quickly  confirmed  it.  These  officers  were,  by 
Rosecrans'  order,  imnaediately  tried  by  a  drum-head  court  mar- 
20 


306  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

tial.  They  expostulated  against  being  treated  as  spies.  They 
pleaded  for  a  commutation,  but  military  courts  work  as  sternly 
as  they  do  quickly.  The  following  messages,  received  and  sent 
by  Wilson,  tell  the  sad  story  : 

MUKFREESBOEO,  JuDB  9,  4:40  A.  M. 

Colonel  Jo  P.  Baird,  Franklin: 

The  General  commanding  directs  that  the  two  spies,  if  found 
guilty,  be  hung  at  once,  thus  placing  beyond  the  possibility  of  For- 
rest's profiting  by  the  information  they  have  gained. 

Frank  S.  Bond, 

Major  and  Aide- de- Camp, 

Franklin,  June  9,  10:30  a.  m. 
To  General  Garfield,  Chief  of  Staff : 

The  men  have  been  tried,  found  guilty,  and  executed  in  com* 
pliance  with  your  order. — I  am  ever  yours, 

J.  P.  Baird, 
Colonel  Commanding  Post. 

It  was  that  kind  of  justice  which  was  meted  out  to  Andre,  but 
who  is  there  that  does  not  deplore  that  young  officer's  fate. 

June  10,  Granger  moved  to  Triune,  half  way  to  Murfrees- 
boro,  and  his  operators  were  ordered  to  Rosecrans'  head-quarters 
via  Nashville.  While  riding  to  Nashville,  the  operators  fell  to 
racing,  which  so  excited  Plum's  horse  as  to  make  it  positively  un- 
manageable. Rushing  on  at  headlong  speed,  he  came  suddenly 
upon  the  Brentwood  pickets.  "-  Halt  P"^  they  cried,  but  to  halt 
was  impossible.  "  Halt  !  "  came  again  just  as  the  horsG  passed 
the  line.  "HALT!"  a  last  call.  ''I  can't  halt,"  cried  the 
rider.  Poor  Wilson  was  too  far  in  the  rear  to  explain.  Bang^ 
BANG,  go  the  rifles.  A  bright  thought  comes  to  the  rider  and 
with  all  his  might  he  reins  his  horse  against  a  fence  or  other  side 
obstruction  and  the  victory  is  won.  It  was  the  same  horse  that 
Con.  Dwyer  attempted  to  ride  in  the  suburbs  of  Murfreesboro, 
but  instead  of  doing  so,  he  went  hatless  through  its  very  streets, 
Bunnell,  Wilson,  Holdridge  and  Plum  trying  to  keep  him  in 
view. 

In  May,  1863,  General  Rosecrans,  regarding  it  as  extremely 
important  to  know  the  movements  of  the  enemy  along  the  road 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  307 

leading  from  Richmond  to  Chattanooga  and  Bragg's  plans  of 
operation,  requested  Colonel  VanDuzer  to  select  two  competent 
operators  for  a  hazardous  undertaking.  Frank  S.  YanYalken- 
burg  and  Patrick  Mullarkey,  first-class  electricians,  who  had  seen, 
as  we  have  observed,  much  military  service  as  operators,  volun- 
teered to  cany  out  the  GeneraFs  wish,  which  was  for  them  to 
enter  East  Tennessee,'  tap  the  telegraph  wires,  and  copy  whatever 
despatches  of  importance  might  be  passing.  These  operators 
reporting  to  Colonel  William  E.  Truesdail,  chief  of  army  police 
and  scouts,  for  instructions,  were  directed  to  go  through  the 
mountains  of  Kentucky  and  East  Tennessee,  to  a  point  near 
Knoxville,  on  the  Chattanooga  Railroad,  and  ascertain  if  possible, 
the  movements  of  the  rebels  along  the  M.  &  C.  railroad,  and 
if  Bragg  was  weakening  his  force  to  strengthen  General  Johnston, 
who  at  that  time  was  collecting  an  army  near  Jackson,  Miss. ,  to 
relieve  Pemberton's  troops  about  Vicksburg.  After  accomplish- 
ing that  task,  the  operators  were  to  endeavor  to  burn  the  rail- 
road bridge  across  the  Tennessee  at  Loudon. 

Four  citizens  from  East  Tennessee,  dressed  in  butternut 
colored  clothes,  each  armed  with  a  revolver,  accompanied  them 
as  guides.  Taking  a  small  quantity  of  line  and  magnet  wire,  a 
set  of  pulley  blocks,  two  pocket  instruments  and  two  quarts  of 
alcohol,  the  latter  to  be  used  in  firing  the  bridge,  they  left 
Nashville  for  Lebanon,  Ky. ,  where  they  were  arrested  by  the 
provost  marshal's  guard  as  rebel  spies.  General  Manson  fur- 
nished them  with  horses  to  continue  their  journey.  Stopping 
the  next  night  at  a  tavern  in  Liberty,  they  were  sitting  in  their 
room  after  supper,  when  startled  by  the  ringing  of  the  bell  on 
the  building,  summoning  the  citizens  from  all  directions.  Short- 
ly after,  a  rap  at  the  door  caused  YanValkenburg  to  open  it. 
About  twenty-five  citizens  were  in  the  hallway,  armed  with  rifles, 
shot  guns,  revolvers  or  knives.  Their  spokesman  remarked  that 
they  were  a  committee  appointed  by  the  citizens  to  ascertain 
who  the  strangers  were  and  where  going ;  that  the  committee 
was  composed  of  Union  men  and  they  did  not  propose  to  allow 
butternuts  to  travel  south,  without  satisfactory  assurances  from 
them.  Looking  over  the  crowd,  YanValkenburg  discovered  a 
man  in  the  undress  uniform  of  an  officer  of  the  Union  army,  and 
calling  him    aside,  YanValkenburg   satisfying  himself   of  the 


308  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

officer's  loyalty,  exhibited  Rosecrans'  passport  and  convinced  the 
captain,  for  such  he  was,  that  the  party  were  Unionists.  The 
officer  then  turned  to  the  committee  and  said:  "Boys,  these 
yere  fellers  is  all  right — they  be  Union  men  of  our  stripe." 
Whereupon,  "peach  and  honey"  was  indulged  in  by  all. 

Somerset  was  reached  the  next  evening.  General  Carter 
supplied  fresh  horses,  and  the  next  day  the  party  crossed  the 
Cumberland  River  and  entered  rebel  territory.  From  that  time 
they  avoided  the  traveled  roads,  preferring  the  mountain  paths 
and  at  night  reached  Jack  Harris'  house  in  the  mountains,  where 
they  remained  over  night.  The  next  morning,  leaving  their 
horses,  they  journeyed  on  foot,  and  that  night  slept  in  a  hut  on 
the  summit  of  Brimstone  Mountain.  Descending  this  the  next 
morning,  they  reached  a  point  on  the  Clinch  River  near  Kings- 
ton, where  their  guides  left  them  and  went  to  the  houses  of 
Unionists  near  by,  from  which  they  returned  with  provisions 
and  the  information  that  the  country  was  full  of  straggling  Con- 
federate soldiers  of  Colonel  Flood's  Seventh  Florida  cavalry, 
which  had  been  defeated  in  a  fight  on  the  Cumberland  River. 
Here  they  remained  until  dark,  when  swimming  the  river,  they 
proceeded  to  Parson  Harwell's  house  on  the  banks  of  the  Ten- 
nessee River,  close  to  Loudon,  near  which  place  they  remained 
in  the  woods  the  next  day,  being  supplied  with  provisions  by 
the  parson's  daughters.  That  night  Parson  Harwell's  son 
guided  them  through  the  woods  to  a  point  near  John  West's 
house,  opposite  Loudon,  where  they  remained  all  day.  About 
ten  p.  M.,  they  proceeded  through  the  woods  to  a  point  on  the 
Knoxville  &  Chattanooga  Railroad  between  Le  Noir  and  Lou- 
don, about  fifteen  miles  from  Knoxville,  where  the  railroad  runs 
through  a  cut  close  to  the  banks  of  the  Tennessee  River. 

They  decided  to  begin  operations  here.  The  line  ran  on  the 
top  of  a  bluff"  between  the  river  and  the  railroad.  At  the  top  of 
the  bluff  the  main  line  was  tightened  by  pulleys  and  rope,  then 
cut  at  the  pole  and  a  piece  of  leather  inserted  to  hold  the  line  in 
position  and  break  the  current.  But  before  severing  it,  two 
fine  wires  were  run  down  the  side  of  the  pole  farthest  from 
the  railroad,  and  through  the  bushes  down  the  bluff  to  a  point 
about  midway  between  the  river  and  railroad.  The  main  line 
at  the  cut  was  then  replaced  on  the  insulator  so  as  to  hide  the 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.  309 

leather  except  from  a  close  observer.  A  pocket  instrument  was 
soon  put  in  circuit,  and  the  spies  were  really  eavesdropping. 
Business  on  the  line  had  mainly  ceased  for  the  night.  Early 
next  morning  they  heard  the  Knoxville  operator  calling  Chat- 
tanooga, and  not  being  able  to  raise  the  operator  there,  he  com- 
menced testing  for  a  heavy  escape  which  he  located  between  Le 
Noir  and  Loudon.  This  escape  was  caused  by  the  dew  falling 
on  their  magnet  wires,  lying  on  the  bushes.  Before  the  Knox- 
ville operator  could  start  out  a  repairer,  the  sun  had  dried  the 
bushes  and  the  line  was  clear.  The  National  operators  lay  at 
this  point  all  day,  copying  whatever  passed  over  the  wires,  but 
obtaining  nothing  of  importance.  That  night,  the  dew  falling 
again,  caused  a  heavy  escape.  Knoxville  located  it  at  the  same 
point,  and  ordered  out  the  repairer  from  Loudon  on  the  first 
train  in  the  morning.  As  the  train  passed  the  operators,  they 
lay  concealed  on  the  bluff  and  saw  the  repairer  with  his  tools, 
watching  from  the  rear  end.  During  the  first  day  they  discovered 
a  ferry  boat  that  crossed  the  Tennessee  River,  also  a  landing 
directly  beneath  them,  and  from  this  time  on,  squads  of  Confed- 
erate troops  were  frequently  crossing  to  the  opposite  shore. 
This  cut  the  party  off  from  water  except  by  night.  In  the 
woods  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  track,  a  party  of  Confederate 
soldiers  were  cutting  timber  for  a  block  house  at  Loudon.  The 
next  morning  and  every  morning  after  during  their  stay  at  this 
point,  Knoxville  located  an  escape  between  Loudon  and  Le  Noir 
and  ordered  out  the  Loudon  repairer.  The  repairer  once  re- 
ported that  he  would  go  out  afoot  and  examine  every  pole.  The 
operators  told  their  guides  that  he  was  coming  afoot,  when  one 
of  them  quietly  took  the  rope  from  the  pulley-blocks,  made  a 
slip-noose  in  one  end  and  fastened  a  large  stone  to  the  other. 
On  asking  him  what  he  was  doing,  he  replied,  "  If  that  fellow 
comes  up  here,  he  will  see  us;  if  we  let  him  go,  the  Johnnies 
will  have  us,  and  inside  of  twenty-four  hours  we  will  have  been 
tried  by  a  drumhead  court-martial  and  the  whole  six  of  us  sen- 
tenced to  stretch  hemp.  Now,  it  is  better,  in  my  opinion,  that 
he  should  stretch  hemp  than  we  six;  so,  if  he  comes  up  here.  Til 
put  this  noose  around  his  neck  and  the  first  chance  we  get  we 
will  jump  him  into  the  river."  In  the  course  of  an  hour,  from 
their  position  on  the  bluff,  they  saw  the  repairer  walking  along 


310  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

the  track,  examining  each  pole  as  he  came.  When  he  reached 
the  bhiff  he  stood  on  the  track  and  looked  at  the  wires  atten- 
tively for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  went  on  to  Le  Noir  and  re- 
ported to  Knoxville  that  the  wire  was  all  clear. 

Several  days  after  this,  they  heard  an  order  going  over  the 
wires,  signed  by  General  Pillow,  to  the  commanders  at  Le  Noir 
and  Loudon,  directing  them  to  station  men  between  those  two 
points  and  search  the  woods  to  the  river  for  Yankee  spies. 
This  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  they  immediately 
disconnected  their  instruments,  connected  the  wire  through,  and, 
succeeding  in  crossing  the  railroad  unobserved,  they  started 
through  the  woods,  hoping  to  get  outside  of  the  line  that  they 
knew  would  be  formed  to  capture  them.  They  barely  suc- 
ceeded in  this.  About  seven  o'clock  that  evening  they  reached 
John  West's  house  and  decided  to  lie  concealed  in  the  woods  un- 
til the  excitement  should  subside.  The  next  day  John  West 
brought  to  them  in  the  woods,  a  man,  who,  he  said,  came  to  him 
with  letters  from  Union  men  in  Philadelphia,  Tennessee,  stating 
that  he  was  a  Union  man  and  was  desirous  of  reaching  the 
Union  lines,  and  requesting  West  to  introduce  him  to  any  party 
of  Union  men  that  he  might  know  of  going  out.  West  asked 
them  if  they  were  willing  to  take  him  with  them.  One  of  the 
guides  was  well  acquainted  in  Philadelphia  and  questioned  the 
man  closely.  Suspecting  that  he  was  not  what  he  represented 
himself  to  be,  after  consulting  together,  they  agreed  that  they 
should  keep  him  with  them  for  the  present,  and  that  one  of  their 
party,  whose  home  was  in  Loudon,  should  go  there  and  ascertain 
what  he  could  about  the  stranger.  The  next  night  on  his  return 
from  Loudon,  he  stated  that  this  man  had  been  a  beef  contractor 
in  the  Confederate  army.  Their  guides  were  for  disposing  of 
him  at  once,  but,  before  they  had  decided  what  to  do  with  him, 
it  was  discovered  that  he  had  quietly  slipped  away  in  the  dark- 
ness. 

Knowing  that  it  would  not  be  safe  to  remain  there  a  moment 
longer,  they  took  to  the  woods  and  at  daylight  reached  Parson 
Harwell's  house.  That  day  the  parson's  daughters  rode  through 
the  surrounding  country,  ostensibly  calling  on  their  friends,  but 
in  reality  for  the  purpose  of  finding  out  what  arrangements  were 
being  made  by  the  Confederates  for  the  capture  of  the  spies.    In 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE  UNITED   STATES.  311 

the  evening  the  girls  returned  and  reported  that  scouting  parties 
were  searching  the  houses  and  that  pickets  had  been  placed 
along  the  bank  of  the  Clinch  River,  and  that  Champ  Ferguson, 
with  his  band  of  guerrillas,  was  searching  the  woods  for  them. 
They  decided  to  try  to  pass  the  Clinch  River  and  reach  the  moun- 
tains. That  night,  about  ten  o'clock,  they  started,  and  reaching 
the  banks  of  the  river  they  saw  the  rebel  pickets  posted  to  inter- 
cept them.  Waiting  a  good  opportunity,  they  quietly  slipped 
past  the  pickets  and  swam  the  river.  On  leaving  the  river  bank 
they  were  greeted  with  a  volley  of  musketry  from  a  squad  of 
cavalry.  The  spies  immediately  took  to  the  woods,  the  cavalry 
following  the  road,  hoping  to  head  them  off.  It  passed  and  re- 
passed them  several  times,  between  Clinch  River  and  Waldron's 
Ridge,  they  lying  concealed  in  the  brush  until  the  cavalry  were 
out  of  hearing.  Then  they  crossed  Waldron's  Ridge  into  the 
valley,  where,  just  before  daylight,  they  were  surprised  by  a 
small  squad  of  Champ  Ferguson's  guerrillas,  with  whom  they 
exchanged  shots.  They  kept  steadily  on  all  that  day,  confining 
themselves  to  the  woods  and  mountain  paths,  and  that  night 
reached  a  place  of  comparative  safety,  near  the  foot  of  Brim- 
stone Mountain,  having  walked  fifty-four  miles  in  twenty  hours, 
crossing  Waldron's  Ridge,  Brushy  Mountain  and  Brimstone 
Mountain. 

MuUarkey  and  VanValkenburg  had  worn  the  soles  off  their 
boots  and  were  now  barefooted.  After  resting  a  few  hours  they 
again  started,  and  the  next  day  found  them  at  Jack  Harris' 
house,  where  they  had  left  their  horses.  Remaining  here  over 
night,  they  started  the  following  morning  on  horseback,  riding 
all  that  day.  The  next  morning,  about  ten  o'clock,  they  reached 
Union  pickets  on  the  banks  of  the  Cumberland  River,  having 
been  inside  of  the  Confederate  lines  thirty -three  days.  The 
third  day  after,  they  arrived  in  Nashville,  completely  worn  out 
and  ill  from  fatigue  and  exposure.  Here  they  learned  that  the 
Confederate  authorities  had  been  apprised  of  their  visit  and  its 
object  almost  immediately  upon  their  arrival  in  the  vicinity  of 
Knoxville,  and  that  this  information  had  been  furnished  them 
by  spies  who  drew  pay  both  from  Confederate  and  Union  offi- 
cers. Colonel  Truesdail  afterwards  informed  VanValkenburg 
that  after  he  knew  the  Confederates  were  aware  thnlihey  were 


312  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

inside  of  their  lines,  he  had  given  up  all  hopes  of  their  return- 
ing. And,  indeed,  had  it  not  been  for  the  aid  rendered  them  by 
the  Union  people  of  that  section,  they  would  have  been  added 
to  the  list  of  Champ  Ferguson's  victims.  Just  before  the  close 
of  the  war,  at  Nashville,  VanValkenburg  saw  hung  as  a  rebel 
spy,  the  person  who  came  to  them  at  John  West's  —  the  beef 
contractor  and  Confederate  spy. 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  313 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  TELEGRAPH  ABOUT  VICKSBURG  AND  IN  WEST  TENNES 
SEE.— THE  VICKSBURG  CAMPAIGN.— VARIOUS  FEDERAL 
RAIDS.— CHAMPION    HILLS.— AFFAIRS   ABOUT   CAIRO. 

The  story  of  the  defense  and  capture  of  this  naturally  strong 
position,  rendered  impregnable  by  artificial  obstructions  and  de- 
structive arms,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  which  the  annals 
of  war  afford.  The  Chickasaw  Bluffs  extend  full  twenty  miles 
above  the  city,  and  at  Maine's  Bluff,  twelve  miles  north,  where 
it  shapes  the  course  of  the  Yazoo  and  commands  its  opposite 
shore,  the  northern  end  of  Vicksburg's  line  of  defensive  works 
was  located.  Vicksburg  is  situated  on  the  bluffs,  where  they  rise 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  low-water  mark.  War- 
renton,  six  miles  below,  and  Grand  Gulf,  about  sixty  miles  far- 
ther down,  are  also  on  the  bluffs,  which  extend  south  far  beyond 
the  sites  of  Bruinsburg  and  Rodney. 

Besides  this  great  barrier,  there  were  others  quite  as  formi- 
dable, and  which  consisted  of  the  swampy  nature  of  the  ground 
accessible  to  the  Federals  ;  of  the  innumerable  swamps,  bayous, 
creeks,  rivers,  lakes  and  impassable  roads  ;  of  a  consequent  ma- 
larious climate  which  so  bred  disease  that  for  miles  the  river 
banks,  being  the  only  dry  ground,  were  marked  by  the  burial  of 
the  Union  dead ;  and  of  the  unusually  high  stage  of  the  water 
and  frequent  rains,  which  excluded  all  reasonable  expectations  of 
relief  in  the  low  regions  where  the  Federals  might  hope  to  oper- 
ate, so  as  to  concentrate  east  of  the  blufls  where  the  country  was 
inviting  and  of  vast  material  consequence  to  Pemberton,  who 
had  retired  to  the  city  from  Grenada,  on  Grant's  approach  by 
water. 

North  and  west  of  Vicksburg  for  hundreds  of  miles,  the  coun- 
try is  so  bisected  by  rivers  and  streams,  as  to  afford  numerous 
water  routes,  and  by  some  of  them  it  was  believed  practicable  to 
flank  the  defenses  north  of  the  city,  or  by  passing  below  through 


314  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

others  enter  the  Mississippi  south  of  its  defensive  works,  in  which 
latter  event  it  was  proposed  to  join  the  Nationals  operating  in 
the  Gulf  Department,  and  marching  north,  sweep  Port  Hudson, 
Grand  Gulf,  Warrenton  and  Vicksburg.  Another  plan  involved 
crossing  the  river  as  near  Vicksburg  as  practicable,  and  moving 
to  its  rear,  regardless  of  the  Union  forces  below,  undertake  its 
capture  by  assault  or  starvation.  Grant  was  foiled  in  so  many 
.undertakings  hereabouts,  that  not  a  few  stout  hearts  in  his  army, 
including  Sherman,  advised  starting  on  a  new  line  from  Mem- 
phis^ but  that,  it  is  said,  would  have  sadly  affected  the  morale  of 
the  troops,  for  Grant,  with  superior  forces,  would  then  have  no 
lines  in  advance  of  what  they  were  when  Halleck  left  the  army, 
in  July,  1862,  and  the  North  bowed  down  by  defeats,  might  not 
have  submitted  to  Grant's  longer  remaining  at  the  head  of  this 
department.  General  history  should  be  consulted  for  the  details 
of  his  unsuccessful  ventures  hereabouts,.  It  must  suffice  here, 
to  outline  only  their  general  character.  January  30,  1863,  Grant 
took  personal  command  of  the  forces  operating  against  Vicks- 
burg, amounting  to  fifty  thousand  men  in  hand,  leaving  a  larger 
number  behind  him,  variously  posted  in  his  department.  Three 
plans  to  reach  the  rear  of  Vicksburg  were  under  experiment  at 
once,  each  of  which  had  its  enthusiasts.  One  was  to  cut  a  canal, 
one  and  one-fifth  miles  long,  across  the  neck  of  land  which,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river,  projects  to  a  point  a  little  above  Vicks- 
burg. This  canal  was  to  be  dug  just  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
city  batteries.  By  it,  it  was  hoped  to  divert  the  waters  of  the 
Mississippi  away  from  Vicksburg,  thereby  rendering  that  city 
of  little  consequence,  or  at  least  enable  Grant  to  pass  below  and 
feed  his  army  while  operating  from  the  south  and  east.  But  the 
enemy  erected  batteries  lower  down  on  the  bluff,  so  as  to  com- 
mand the  southern  end  of  the  proposed  canal,  and  a  sudden  rise 
flooded  the  peninsula;  either  of  which  causes  would  have  made 
the  scheme  abortive. 

Another  project  was  to  connect  the  river  with  Lake  Provi- 
dence, about  seventy-five  miles  above  Vicksburg,  and  thence  ma 
bayous,  or  rivers,  reach  the  Red  River,  and,  follow  that  down 
where,  some  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  below  Vicksburg,  and 
about  midway  between  Port  Hudson  and  Natchez,  it  enters  the 
Mississippi.     This  scheme  involved  a  concert  of  action  with  the 


THEATRE  OF  VICKSBUKG  OPERATIONS. 


tTHIVBHSITT 


OS* 


^illPO 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  315 

Army  of  the  Gulf,  but  it  was  found  to  be  too  big  a  job,  and  of 
doubtful  utility  if  opened,  OAving  to  the  scarcity  of  transports 
small  enough  to  navigate  the  streams. 

A  third  design  was  to  flank  Maine's  Bluff,  by  a  water  route, 
beginning  a  little  below  Helena,  Ark. ,  but  on  the  eastern  side, 
and  by  cutting  the  levee,  enter  Yazoo  Pass,  which  connected 
with  the  Coldwater,  Tallahatchie  and  Yazoo  Rivers.  Gunboats 
and  transports  by  this  route  reached  Fort  Pemberton,  situated  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Yallabusha,  but  were  unable  to  capture  it. 
This  fort  was  about  three  hundred  miles  from  the  levee  men- 
tioned. Sherman  and  Admiral  Porter  tried  to  aid  this  expedi- 
tion by  a  roundabout  Avay  into  the  Yazoo  from  Young's  Point, 
near  Vicksburg,  avoiding  Haine's  Bluff,  but  after  crawling  along 
the  Muddy,  Steele  and  Black  bayous,  something  like  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles,  they  returned  without  reaching  the  Sun- 
flower, where  they  would  have  had  water  enough. 

These  experiments  are  said  to  have  been  useful  in  inuring  the 
army  to  hardships,  but  as  it  experienced  no  subsequent  severities 
equal  to  the  lessons,  they  should  be  set  down  as  gigantic  failures, 
which  cost  from  disease  alone  a  fearful  sacrifice  ;  nevertheless  it 
would  be  unjust  to  pronounce  censure,  as  they  were  plans  which 
could  be  determined  only  by  their  trial,  and  depended  greatly  on 
the  elements.  War  is  largely  experimental.  These  routes  were 
respectively  advocated  by  able  engineers,  and  all  of  them  were 
possible  under  favorable  circumstances. 

Finally,  after  two  months  of  engineering,  General  Grant  had 
recourse  to  a  westerly  roadway,  miles  of  which  were  corduroyed 
for  the  purpose,  whereby  he  marched  McClernand's  and  Mc- 
Pherson's  corps  to  Carthage,  some  thirty-five  miles  south,  where 
were  met  some  of  Porter's  gunboats  and  transports,  that  had  run 
the  gauntlet  of  the  Vicksburg  batteries,  and  thence  moving 
past  Grand  Gulf,  Grant  crossed  the  river  near  Bruinsburg,  and 
possessed  Grand  Gulf  after  defeating  Confederate  General  Bow- 
en,  at  Port  Gibson.  Grant  thereupon  ordered  Sherman's  corps, 
which  had  been  engaged  in  a  diversion,  to  follow,  while  he 
(Grant)  pressed  on  toward  Jackson,  Miss. 


Leaving  Grant  to  concentrate  his  forces,  let  us  take  a  hasty 
glance  at  affairs  farther  north.     Several  expeditions  were  sent 


316  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING    THE 

out  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1863,  from  the  Memphis  ancj 
Corinth  line  ;  one,  under  General  Dodge,  into  North  Alabama, 
in  conjunction  with  Colonel  Streighf  s  (of  Rosecrans'  command) 
unfortunate  raid  into  Georgia  via  Tuscumbia,  Ala.  John  O. 
Ingle,  operator,  accompanied  Dodge  on  this  expedition.  Two 
others  were  sent  in  February  ;  one,  being  under  General  A.  J. 
Smith,  accompanied  by  Lew.  Spellman,  operator,  and  a  second 
under  Colonel  Grierson,  with  whom  was  operator  Frea.W.  Snell. 
Yet  another  one,  vastly  more  important,  under  Grierson  left  La 
Grange  a  few  days  before  Grant  started  for  Carthage.  Grier- 
son's  force  consisted  of  about  seventeen  hundred  cavalry,  and 
was  to  destroy  as  much  of  Pemberton's  communicating  railroads 
and  telegraphs  as  possible,  and  also  such  stores,  munitions,  and 
the  like,  as  he  could.  His  success  was  remarkable.  Luke 
O'Reilly,  operator,  who  accompanied  him,  was  of  valuable  assist- 
ance by  telegraphing,  at  captured  oflSces,  false  reports  of  Grier- 
son's  movements.  One  of  O'Reilly's  tricks,  that  troubled  the 
Confederates  a  great  deal  in  restoring  their  telegraphs,  was  to 
leave  the  line  apparently  intact,  but  in  fact  held  together  by 
some  non-condiWGimg  substance,  so  inserted  as  not  to  attract 
attention.  This  force  proceeded  through  the  State  of  Missis- 
sippi and  finally  reached  Baton  Rouge,  La.  It  caused  Generals 
Pemberton  at  Vicksburg,  and  Gardner  at  Port  Hudson  a  great 
deal  of  trouble.  They  were  so  perplexed  at  Grierson's  move- 
ments, that  they  could  nowhere  oppose  him  with  any  force  com- 
petent to  prevail  against  him.  All  of  Gardner's  telegrams  were 
captured  at  Port  Hudson  subsequently.  The  last  two,  preserved 
by  operator  W.  A.  Sheldon,  of  the  Gulf  department,  are  signifi- 
cant. They  are  as  follows:  Gardner  to  Pemberton,  "Grierson 
has  arrived  at  Baton  Rouge.  How  did  he  get  through  ?  "  Pem- 
berton to  Gardner:  "I  don't  know,  do  you?" 


General  Johnston,  commander  of  the  Western  armies,  was  at 
TuUahoma,  Tenn.,  with  Bragg,  when  Pemberton  telegraphed 
the  fact  of  Grant's  new  movement,  and  thereupon,  he  (Johnston) 
set  about  to  collect  forces  to  aid  in  beating  off  Grant.  On  the 
12th  of  May,  he  reached  Jackson,  but  the  Federals  had  come 
between  there  and  Vicksburg,  hence  Johnston  and  Pemberton 
could  not  attack  in  concert,  and  Pemberton  felt  too  weak  to 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  317 

stand  alone,  although  May  16,  he  valiantly  attempted  it  at 
Champion  Hills.  So  Johnston  evacuated  Jackson  and  Pember- 
ton,  unwilling  to  risk  a  decisive  battle,  fell  back  fighting,  into 
the  city,  where  his  troops  were  quartered  by  the  17th  of  May, 
when  the  siege  began  and  with  it,  the  arduous  duties  of  the  army 
operator,  as  the  desperate  assaults  of  the  nineteenth  and  twenty- 
second  had  proven  a  siege  inevitable. 

John  C.  Sullivan,  who  relieved  Ira  G.  Skinner  as  chief  ope- 
rator with  General  Grant,  accompanied  the  latter  to  Milliken's 
Bend  and  remained  chief  of  telegraphic  operations  in  the  Yicks- 
burg  district  until  some  time  after  the  capture  of  that  city; 
Captain  Fuller  remaining  at  Memphis.  April  20,  Grant,  in  view 
of  his  movement,  ordered  a  line  built  from  Milliken's  Bend  to 
Carthage  via  Richmond,  La.,  but  owing  to  the  road  being  used 
to  transport  supplies  and  the  difficulty  of  procuring  transporta- 
tion, Solomon  Palmer,  foreman  of  builders,  made  slow  progress 
and  it  soon  becoming  undesirable,  the  construction  was  aban- 
doned. May  24,  Palmer  was  ordered  to  erect  a  line  connecting 
all  corps  head-quarters,  which  was  accomplished  by  the  twenty- 
seventh;  operator  Ingle  going  to  McPherson's,  E.  H.  Johnson 
to  McClernand's,  and  M.  K.  Booth,  newly  detailed  from  the  Ninety- 
Third  Illinois  infantry  for  that  purpose,  was  sent  to  Sherman's. 
June  2,  Palmer  built  a  line  from  Grant's  quarters  to  Chickasaw 
Landing,  seven  miles,  and  thence  to  Haine's  Bluff.  Operators 
were  so  scarce,  that  searchers  were  sent  through  the  army  and 
Sherman's  office  was  temporarily  closed  to  let  Booth  go  to  the 
Landing,  where  all  the  supplies  were  received.  General  Oster- 
haus  repaired  the  line  to  his  quarters  at  Black  River,  on  the 
railroad,  when  he  became  clamorous  for  an  operator.  Hudson 
H.  Allen  was  detailed  for  that  office  about  the  twentieth.  June 
19,  the  line  was  extended  on  the  left  to  General  Lauman's,  and 
on  the  twenty-third,  to  Herron's,  where  Beck  with  was  stationed. 
Beckwith  had  just  arrived  from  above,  having  been  serving  Gen- 
erals Lee,  at  Germantown,  Brayman,  at  Bolivar,  Dodge,  at 
Corinth,  and  Hurlbut,  at  Memphis.  These  Vicksburg  lines  ag- 
gregated forty  miles  in  length;  that  from  Haine's  Bluff  to  Big 
Black  was  to  advise  the  forces  near  those  points  of  an3^  approach 
by  Johnston,  who  was  collecting  an  army  to  relieve  Pemberton. 
G.  W.  Baxter  was  stationed  at  Haine's  Bluff.     June  26,  W.  H. 


318  THE    MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Parsons,  Edwin  D.  Butler  and  Stephen  L.  Robinson  arrived, 
barely  escaping  a  masked  battery  on  the  banks  and  a  fire  on 
board,  and  the  next  day,  a  line  was  built  to  Parke's  head-quar- 
ters at  Post  Oak  Ridge,  eight  miles  beyond  Haine's  Bluff. 
Butler  was  sent  there,  Robinson  went  to  Lauman's,  and  Parsons 
temporarily  relieved  Booth,  who  had  become  very  sick.  Beck- 
with  went  to  Grant's  about  the  1st  of  July,  and  Robinson  to 
Herron's.  The  operators,  by  the  4:th  of  July,  were  completely 
exhausted,  their  work  being  very  exacting,  especially  as  to  time. 
Many  successive  nights  they  barely  slept  at  all,  and  were  of 
•course  at  their  instruments  always  in  the  day  time.  Finally 
«ome  relief  was  obtained  by  making  the  couriers  awaken  the 
operator  every  time  the  instrument  made  a  noise;  by  this  means 
snatches  of  sleep  were  obtained,  but  a  great  and  glorious  end 
was  approaching. 

Pemberton's  defense  of  Vicksburg  was  in  many  respects  both 
able  and  gallant,  but  considering  his  force;  that  he  held  interior 
lines,  and  the  natural  difficulties  of  an  assault,  the  wonder,  is 
not  so  much  that  he  successfully  repelled  all  attacks  as  that  he 
attempted  to  stand  a  siege  with  insufficient  provisions.  Grant's 
audacity  might  have  been  less  manifest  had  he  not  greatly  under- 
rated Pemberton's  real  strength,  a  thing  officers  are  not  likely  to 
do,  and  Pemberton  might  have  been  less  reluctant  to  obey  John- 
ston's early  orders  to  attack,  had  he  not  overestimated  the  forces 
then  in  hand  with  Grant.  Although  the  soldiers  could  not  suc- 
cessfully storm  the  enemy's  Vicksburg  defences  so  as  to  pene- 
trate them  in  force  sufficient  to  effect  a  permanent  lodgement, 
the  lack  of  the  necessities  of  life  soon  became  evident  to  all 
within  the  city,  and  frequent  desertions  enabled  Grant  to  keep 
generally  advised  of  the  stores  on  hand.  The  question  of  Pem- 
berton's surrender  became,  with  the  siege,  but  a  question  of  time, 
it  would  seem,  with  both  army  commanders,  unless  General  Joe 
Johnston  succeeded  in  collecting  an  army  sufficiently  strong  to 
relieve  the  besieged.  Plans  for  cutting  a  way  through  the  Fed- 
eral lines  were  indeed  discussed  in  Vicksburg,  but  no  such 
attempt  was  made.  Johnston  was  indefatigable  in  his  labors, 
but  Grant's  forces  and  works  behind  the  Big  Black  increased,  so 
that  he  felt  measurably  secure,  while  Sherman,  Washburne, 
Parke  and  Osterhaus  were  on  the  alert  along  the  defensive  rear. 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  319 

from  the  Yazoo  to  the  Black  River  bridge.  Johnston,  about  the 
last  of  June,  reached  Brownsville,  near  the  Federal  defenses. 
On  the  27th  of  June,  there  came  a  report  that  Johnston  was  to 
be  quickly  reinforced  by  ten  thousand  troops  from  Bragg  in 
Tennessee,  and  new  assaults  were  being  considered  by  Grant, 
but  the  commander  of  the  half  starved  defenders  was  poorly  ad- 
vised of  Johnston's  operations.  Mines  had  been  sprung  and 
others  were  in  preparation;  Federal  shells  were  falling  in  all 
parts  of  the  town  and  its  citizens  were  dwelling  in  caves. 

Surrender  was  felt  to  be  an  inexorable  necessity,  and  accord- 
ingly, on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  July,  Pemberton  proposed 
an  armistice  with  a  view  to  arranging  terms  of  capitulation.  By 
this  time,  Beckwith  had  come  to  the  relief  of  Sullivan,  whose 
cipher  and  telegraph  duties  at  Grant's  had  been  of  the  most  try- 
ing nature.  Ordinarily  Beckwith's  telegraphic  manipulations 
were  mechanically  accurate  and  steady,  but  now  that  his  news 
was  the  harbinger  of  an  ultimate  success  which  would  crown  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee  with  unfading  laurels  and  shower  upon  it 
the  tearful  blessing  of  millions  who  were,  and  the  loud  acclaims 
of  millions  yet  unborn,  he  nervously  signaled  "  22  "*  and  "OS,"t 
repeatedly  and  then  began  calling  the  operator  of  Washburne's 
head-quarters  up  the  Yazoo;  at  Generals  McPherson's,  Ord's 
(he  having  relieved  McClernand),  Osterhaus',  Parke's,  and  else- 
where, all  of  whom,  alive  to  the  meaning  of  the  signals,  and 
doubtless  believing  an  attack  was  impending,  hurriedly  respond- 
ed. Beckwith  then  telegraphs,  "Big  news  ! ! !  Pemberton  sends 
flag  of  truce;  wants  to  know  terms,  if  he  will  surrender.  Grant 
going  to  meet  him;  give  you  more  soon."  Then  followed  the 
orders  to  desist  firing,  and  the  hills  about  Vicksburg,  for  the  first 
time  for  months,  ceased  to  echo  and  re-echo  the  voices  of  war. 
It  was  truly  big  news.  Grant  returned  about  four  p.  m.  ,  and 
telegraphed  some  of  his  chief  officers  to  meet  him,  to  consult  as 
to  the  terms  which  should  be  offered.  Almost  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, Steele,  McPherson,  Ord,  Lauman,  Logan,  Herron,  Blair 
and  some  others  started  for  Grant's.  The  council  over,  the 
terms  were  submitted,  amendments  proposed  but  rejected,  and 
about  two  A.  M.,  Pemberton's  reply,  accepting  the  ultimatum^ 
was  received. 

*A  signal  for  precedence  and  Importance.       t  Signal  that  the  matter  is  for  all  ofllces. 


320  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

How  opportune,  indeed  ;  for  while  these  negotiations  were 
progressing,  Johnston  was  steadily  moving  toward  the  Big  Black 
and  had  actually  placed  one  gun  into  position.  Keports  of 
scouts  were  frequently  telegraphed  from  Washburne  and  Oster- 
haus,  announcing  the  approach  of  this  new  army.  Grant's  anx- 
iety lest  he  should  have  to  let  go  his  fast  hold  on  the  great  prize, 
to  crush  this  new  army,  was  very  great.  His  own  army  was 
now  seventy-five  thousand  strong,  Pemberton's,  thirty  thousand, 
and  Johnston's  exceeding  twenty-five  thousand;  but  with  them 
concentration  on  single  points  alone  invited  success;  with  Grant, 
to  concentrate  was  to  loosen  his  hold  on  Vicksburg.  Minutes 
became  hours  and  hours,  days,  while  the  terms  were  under  dis- 
cussion, but  with  a  firm  reliance  in  his  brave  troops,  perhaps  in 
the  God  of  battles.  Grant  rejected  Pemberton's  amendatory 
terms,  and  then  Pemberton  acquiesced.  It  was  this  acceptance 
that  brought  Grant  into  the  telegraph  tent  at  two  a.  m.  ,  of  July 
4,  saying,  "  Well,  Beckwith,  they  have  accepted  our  terms,  and 
now  I  want  Sherman.  Can  you  raise  him  ?  "  It  should  be 
stated  that  Sherman  was  temporarily  relieved  of  the  command 
of  his  corps  in  front  of  Yicksburg,  on  the  20th  of  June,  and 
sent  back  to  command  the  forces  anticipating  Johnston,  and  at 
this  time  (morning  of  July  4)  his  head-quarters  were  at  Parson 
Fox's,  between  Haine's  Blufi"  and  the  railroad  bridge.  Opera- 
tor Butler  at  Parke's,  who  had  gone  to  sleep  with  his  head  in  a 
cracker  box,  on  the  top  of  which  rested  his  instrument,  having, 
so  to  write,  one  ear  open,  was  soon  aroused,  and  Grant's  mes- 
sage to  Sherman,  stating  that  "  Pemberton  has  accepted  and  will 
surrender  to-morrow  morning,"  was  duly  despatched.  Other 
messages  speedily  followed  to  all  commanders,  and  on  the  anni- 
versary of  our  nation's  birth,  the  army  made,  says  Badeau,  in 
his  "Military  History  of  U.  S.  Grant,"  ''The  largest  capture  of 
men  and  material  ever  made  in  war.''^ 

On  the  fifth,  most  of  the  operators  moved  into  the  city,  where 
they  established  an  office  at  Grant's  and  in  a  bank  building,  and 
while  Parsons,  Johnson,  Baxter  and  Robinson  were  for(a)ging 
through  the  iron  doors  of  the  bank,  only  to  discover  an  old 
clock  and  some  duelling  pistols,  Beckwith,  who  had  secretly 
learned  of  the  burial  just  over  the  Black  of  eighty  thousand 
dollars  in  plate  and  coin,  together  with  a  member  of  General 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  321 

Matthias'  staff,  rode  out  to  possess  it.  In  their  anxiety,  they 
ventured  too  quickly,  and  were  nearly  captured  by  four  rebel 
horsemen,  but  other  Federals  coming  up  by  a  by-way,  the  Con- 
federates rode  off.  When,  on  another  day,  the  treasure  was 
sought,  somebody  had  carried  it  off. 

No  sooner  was  the  capture  of  Yicksburg  assured  than  Admi- 
ral Porter  started  hi's  fleetest  steamer  for  Cairo,  carrying  a  de- 
tailed account,  with  all  of  the  prefixes  and  affixes  possible  in  the 
address  and  signature.  The  steamer  reached  Cairo  two  and  a 
half  hours  ahead  of  the  next  one.  The  pompous  naval  officer 
strutted  into  the  telegi'aph  office  and  demanded  possession  of  the 
wire  to  send  the  news  of  the  capture  of  Vicksburg  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy;  but  while  the  receiving  clerk  was  counting 
the  long  message,  preparatory  for  sending,  the  manager  rapidly 
telegraphed  without  transcribing,  as  follows: 

To  Colonel  Stager,  War  Department,  Washington: 
Pemberton  surrendered  July  4. 

(Signed)  A.  J.  Howell. 

It  was  this  laconic  message  that  enabled  Secretary  Stanton 
proudly  to  spread  over  the  land  the  news  of  a  glorious  victory 
by  the  time  that  Secretary  Gideon  Wells  had  adjusted  his  spec- 
tacles to  read  the  message  that  Porter  had  striven  so  hard  to 
send  him,  so  that  Tie  might  have  the  honor  of  reporting  it. 

This  news  was  not  so  readily  believed  in  the  Confederacy. 
At  Delhi,  forty  miles  west  of  Vicksburg,  whither  Lee  S.  Daniel 
had  retreated  and  where  he  was  operating.  General  John  G. 
Walker  threatened  him,  on  the  fifth,  with  irons  for  stating  a  be- 
lief that  the  place  had  fallen,  and  on  his  telegraphing  the  fact 
on  the  eighth  to  Eldorado,  Arkansas,  the  operator  there  soon  ad- 
vised Daniel  to  fly,  as  a  jposse  of  citizens  had  organized  to  go  and 
hang  "that  lying  operator  at  Delhi." 

Among  the  Confederate  operators  found  in  Yicksburg  were 
A.  Grimes  and  E.  L.  Marchant.  Grimes  was  a  talented  Irish- 
man, who  served  many  years  as  operator  at  Jackson,  Lake  Sta- 
tion, Yicksburg  and  vicinity.  Marchant  also  worked  at  Jackson 
and  subsequently  in  New  Orleans.  At  the  close  of  the  war  both 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  were  employed  by  the  Govern- 
ment. They  are  both  dead. 
21 


322  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 


The  following  teleo^ram  will  indicate  Sherman's  undertak- 

5RS  Expeditionary  Army, 
Fox's,  July  4,  8  p.  m.,  1863. 


'to 

ings : 


Head-quarters  Expeditionary  Army,  ) 


Gen.  Grant,  Vicksburg; 

Your  despatch,  announcing  the  magnitude  of  the  capture  of 
Vicksburg,  is  most  gratifying.  The  importance  of  the  place  to  our 
cause  can  not  be  exaggerated.  I  have  left  Kimball's  division  at 
Maine's  Bluff,  with  instructions  to  picket  at  Oak  Ridge.  I  will  or- 
der General  McArthur  to  relieve  Osterhaus.  I  will  relieve  Oster- 
haus  at  the  bridge  to-morrow,  so  that  Osterhaus  may  report  to  Gen- 
eral Ord.  Three  bridges  will  be  built  to-morrow  at  Birdsong, 
Messinger's  and  the  railroad  crossing.  To-morrow  I  suppose  Ord 
and  Steele  will  be  up,  so  that  next  day  I  will  cross  and  move  in 
force  on  Bolton.  The  enemy  show  one  gun  opposite  Messinger's 
this  p.  m.  I  am  willing  he  should  meet  us  at  once;  the  nearer  our 
base  the  better.  If  he  declines  battle  I  will  follow  promptly  at 
Clinton;  then  I  can  discover  if  Johnston  is  scattered  or  contracted, 
when  I  will  act  accordingly.  I  have  not  yet  heard  if  the  prisoners 
are  to  be  paroled  here  or  sent  North.  The  farmers  and  families  out 
here  acknowledge  the  magnitude  of  their  loss  and  now  beg  to  know 
their  fate.  All  crops  are  destroyed  and  cattle  eaten  up.  *  * 
I  feel  an  intense  curiosity  to  see  Vicksburg  and  its  people,  but  rec- 
ognize the  importance  of  my  present  task  and  think  of  nothing  else. 
I  will  keep  a  few  orderlies  at  Osterhaus,  which  is  now  my  nearest 
telegraph  office.  W.  T.  Sherman, 

MaJ.  Gen.  Comdg. 

Robinson  pushed  out  with  Ord  and  opened  an  office  at  Clin- 
ton on  the  twelfth.  Parsons  and  Ingle  footed  it  from  the  bridge 
to  Clinton,  seventeen  miles,  in  the  rain,  on  the  thirteenth,  when 
General  McArthur  gave  the  boys  an  ambulance  to  Sherman's, 
two  miles  from  Jackson,  at  which  place  Johnston  lay  entrenched. 
It  was  well  for  Ingle  that  he  rode  in  an  ambulance,  because  at 
Clinton,  where  a  drug  store  was  sacked,  he  filled  a  pocket  with 
capsules,  which  proved  to  be  loaded  with  croton  oil.  It  was 
after  ten  o'clock  when  they  reached  Sherman's  quarters,  and 
found  him  sleeping  in  a  fence  corner,  but  on  hearing  of  their 
arrival,  the  line  having  been  repaired  by  Palmer,  Sherman  wrote 
many  telegraphic  orders  for  troops  in  the  rear,  besides  reporting 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  323 

to  Grant.  July  16,  Confederate  cavalry  attacked  Matthias' 
troops  at  Clinton,  cutting  the  line,  but  were  driven  off,  and  the  next 
day,  Jackson  was  evacuated  and  as  soon  as  Sherman  directed  it, 
the  line  was  run  into  that  city,  i,  ^.,  the  twenty-first.  Johnston 
was  in  full  retreat  and  Sherman  moved  back  to  Messingers  Ford, 
west  of  the  river,  where  Parsons  opened  an  office  on  the  twenty- 
seventh.  Ingle  went  to  Haine's  Bluff,  William  Foley,  fresh 
from  Cairo  office,  Baxter,  Johnson,  and  H.  W.  Nichols,  who 
was  captured  at  Holly  Springs  and  H.  H  Allen,  were  now  or- 
dered to  the  Gulf  department. 

The  siege  of  Vicksburg  had  passed  into  history.  Six  whole 
months  had  been  spent  in  its  capture.  Such  victories  do  not 
come  without  sacrifices.  That  Grant's  army  was  willing  to  in- 
cur any  danger,  is  shown  by  its  labors  on  water  routes,  by  its 
marches  of  two  hundred  miles  in  twenty  days,  by  its  battles, 
by  its  deprivations  and  by  its  engineering  approaches  under  the 
very  guns  of  Vicksburg,  but  above  all,  by  the  miles  of  silent 
graves  which  indicate  the  ravages  of  disease,  and  by  the  killed 
(one  thousand,  two  hundred  and  forty-three)  and  wounded  (seven 
thousand  and  ninety-five)  in  battle.  A  peace  purchased  at  such 
a  price  should  indeed  be  lasting  and  fruitful;  but  no,  not  yet. 

Among  those  fallen  heroes,  the  Telegraph  Corps  counts  one 
of  its  own  number.  Marsden  K.  Booth,  eldest  son  of  G.  J. 
Boo^l^of  Fulton,  HI.,  was  born  April  20,  1844,  in  Dundee, 
Yates  County,  New  York.  At  the  early  age  of  thirteen  years, 
he  learned  to  telegraph  in  Fulton,  and  operated  at  Geneseo,  Pal- 
atine, Harlem  and  Sterling,  111.,  but  though  in  fact  too  delicately 
organized  for  severe  exposures,  he  was  deeply  impressed  with 
the  conviction  that  his  duty  bade  him  to  shoulder  arms.  Ac- 
cordingly, August  9,  1862,  he  joined  Company  F,  of  the  Ninety- 
Third  Illinois  Volunteer  infantry,  sharing  its  fortunes  and  its 
miseries  until  detailed  from  the  trenches  in  front  of  Vicksburg 
as  above  shown.  In  that  sanguinary  struggle  known  as  the 
battle  of  Champion  Hills,  where  four  hundred  and  twenty-six 
Federals  were  killed  and  one  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  forty- 
two  wounded,  and  the  Confederates  lost  between  three  thousand 
and  four  thousand,  killed  and  wounded,  the  Ninety -Third 
lost  many  of  its  brave  soldiers  and  nearly  all  of  its  officers, 
but  young  Booth  was  destined  to  aid  in  the  capture  of  the  west- 


324  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

ern  Sebastopol  and  then  succumb  to  a  malarial  fever.  The  tele- 
graph office  at  Chickasaw  was  in  a  tent  on  the  bank  of  the  Yazoo, 
whose  motionless,  slimy,  green  and  tepid  waters  exhaled  miasma 
that  was  unusually  poisonous,  especially  in  July  and  August, 
when  the  waters  are  low,  stagnant  and  warm,  and  full  of  decay- 
ing vegetation.  Besides  this  poisoned  air  and  the  foul  waters 
of  the  Yazoo,  Booth  was  so  over-tasked,  as  to  be  wholly  unfit 
for  work,  two  days  before  Parsons  relieved  him,  but  in  a  large 
measure  Grant's  whole  army  was  dependent  upon  the  telegraphic 
orders  affecting  the  transportation  and  disposition  of  the  stores 
that  were  landed  near  the  office,  and  Booth  with  the  zeal  of  a 
martyr  remained  steadfast  until  relief  came;  but,  fatal  necessity; 
it  cost  him  his  life,  and  on  the  25th  of  August,  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years  and  a  few  months  he  died,  and  was  buried  where 
his  remains  now  lie,  in  the  military  cemetery  at  Yicksburg.  One 
of  his  comrades  writes  that  "he  was  a  kind,  uncomplaining 
young  man,  a  genial  companion  and  his  death  was  mourned  by 
those  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  have  his  acquaintance." 

On  the  17th  of  August,  General  Grant  received  some  of  his 
military  friends.  Certain  officers  took  the  occasion  to  present 
him  with  an  elegant  sword,  after  which.  General  McPherson, 
a  constant  friend  of  the  army  telegraphers,  presented  him  with 
a  superb  pair  of  major  general's  shoulder  straps — (he  having 
been  recently  appointed  a  major  general  in  the  regular  J||rmy) — 
together  with  the  following  letter : 

Head-Quarters  17th  Army  Corps,  ) 
Vicksburg,  August  17,  1863.  ) 

Major  General  J.  B.  McPherson  : 

General — May  1  beg  the  honor  of  requesting  you  in  behalf  of 
the  operators  in  the  field,  to  present  the  accompanying  pair  of  ma- 
jor general's  shoulder  straps  to  Major  General  U.  S.  Grant,  as  a 
token  of  respect  and  esteem.  Should  you  deem  it  proper  to  pre- 
sent them  this  evening,  I  beg  you  will  communicate  to  the  General 
the  sincere  gratitude  which  we  entertain  toward  him  for  the  many 
kindnesses  extended  to  us.  I  am,  with  profound  respect,  etc.. 
Yours,  S.  H.  Beckwith, 

Opr.  Gen.  Grant^s  ird,-Qrs. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  325 

In  war,  the  scenes  are  constantly  shifting.  A  section  once 
conquered  and  thought  to  have  passed  from  the  panorama  of 
contending  armies,  suddenly  reappears  crimsoned  with  fresh 
misery,  and  the  strife  as  before,  has  its  ebb  and  flood  tides,  until 
finally  one  party  again  controls  the  domain.  Then  follows  the 
peace  of  the  grave  and  forage  of  the  living;  so  it  was  in  Vir- 
ginia and  West  Virginia,  in  Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Louisiana, 
and  now  also  in  West  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and  so  the  strife 
continued  to  recede  arid  advance  again,  along  the  border  shores 
of  the  rebellion,  until  from  sheer  exhaustion,  the  weaker  side 
in  despair,  ceased  its  depredating  raids  almost  as  suddenly  as 
they  were  begun.  When  Grant  quit  Holly  Springs,  for  Milli- 
ken's  Bend,  the  Confederates'  flood  tide  again  set  in,  and  it  is  to 
relate  the  incidents  occurring  in  West  Kentucky  and  Tennessee 
during  the  year  1863,  of  consequence  to  the  telegraphers,  that 
we  now  busy  ourselves.  W.  G.  Fuller,  in  his  annual  report  for 
the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1863,  says  : 

March  9,  1863,  the  railroad  from  Jackson,  Tenn.,  to  Columbus, 
Ky.,  was  abandoned.  All  the  garrisons  withdrawn,  and  the  offices 
closed,  but  by  a  judicious  system  of  sending  repairers  in  disguise, 
to  travel  over  the  Hues  on  foot,  we  were  enabled  to  keep  open  com- 
munications, more  than  half  of  the  time,  although  guerrillas  con- 
stantly cut  them.  The  repairers  did  their  labor  in  the  night.  June 
8,  Jackson  and  Bolivar,  Tenn.,  were  evacuated  by  our  troops  and 
the  offices  closed  at  those  points,  but  the  line  continued  to  work 
through  from  Memphis  to  Cairo  up  to  June  14,  when  it  was  cut  so 
badly  by  guerrillas,  that  we  gave  up  the  hope  of  continuing  it 
longer.  T.  P.  Hemphill,  who  had  been  doing  repair  duty  upon  this 
long  line  of  unguarded  wire,  with  three  soldiers,  who  were  assist- 
ing him,  was  killed  by  guerrillas.  The  lines  north  from  Grand 
Junction  and  from  Corinth,  were  abandoned,  and  the  direct  line 
from  Grand  Junction  to  Corinth  was  rebuilt.  The  troops  heretofore 
garrisoning  the  railroads  along  which  these  lines  extended,  had 
been  sent  to  reinforce  General  Grant  at  Vicksburg. 

Thomas  P.  Hemphill,  from  Carlinville,  Illinois,  volunteered  to 
go  with  a  train  to  repair  the  line  which  the  rebels  had  torn  down. 
He  started  from  Grand  Junction  on  the  morning  of  June  15. 
The  rebels  had  cut  the  underpinning  of  a  bridge  near  Middle- 


326  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

burg,  Tennessee,  and  when  the  train  struck  it,  the  whole  was 
pi-ecipitated  into  the  ravine.  Hemphill  and  three  soldiers  were 
instantly  killed  and  twelve  others  were  badly  injured.  Hemp- 
hill was  so  badly  mangled  as  to  necessitate  his  burial  on  the 
spot.  Two  weeks  before  this  the  rebels  captured  all  of  his 
clothing. 

Whoever  was  in  Cairo  during  the  war,  will  agree  that  it  was 
an  abomination.  According  to  Dickens,  Martin  Chuzzlewit  was 
one  of  the  early  proprietors  there.     It  was  then 

A  flat  morass,  bestrewn  with  fallen  timber;  a  marsh  on  which  the 
good  growth  of  the  earth  seemed  to  have  been  wrecked  and  cast 
away,  that  from  its  decomposing  ashes  vile  and  ugly  things  might 
rise;  where  the  very  trees  took  the  aspect  of  huge  weeds,  begotten 
of  the  slime  from  which  they  sprung  by  the  hot  sun  that  burnt  them 
up;  where  fatal  maladies,  seeking  whom  they  might  infect,  came 
forth  at  night  in  misty  shapes,  and  creeping  out  upon  the  water, 
hunted  them  like  specters  until  day;  where  even  the  blessed  sun, 
shining  down  on  festering  elements  of  corruption  and  disease,  be- 
came a  horror.  This  was  the  realm  of  Hope  through  which  they 
(Martin  and  his  partner)  moved.  At  last  they  stopped  —  at  Eden, 
too.  The  waters  of  the  deluge  might  have  left  it  but  a  week  be- 
fore, so  choked  with  slime  and  matted  growth  was  the  hideous 
swamp  which  bore  that  name. 

When  the  author  first  saw  it,  in  June,  1863,  the  streets  were 
without  bottom  and  the  walks  were  on  stilts.  Sometimes  a  gut- 
ter intervened  between  the  imaginary  side  lines  w^here  the  street 
proper  terminated  and  where  the  walk  began,  but  as  a  rule  it 
was  all  gutter.  More  attention  was  paid  to  bad  drainage  there 
than  he  ever  noticed  elsewhere.  Everybody  discussed  it  except 
the  authorities.  There  was  liquid  in  front,  at  the  side  and  be- 
neath the  city;  even  the  citizens  were  in  liquor.  Mr.  Eollins, 
member  of  Congress  from  Missouri,  speaking  of  Cairo,  said  his 
steamboat  landed  passengers  in  the  third  story  of  its  first-class 
hotel.  In  the  very  heart  of  the  new  city  the  cry  of  the  faithful 
boatman  is  '^No  bottom."  Of  another  occasion,  S.  S.  Cox 
writes:  * 'Another  member  remarked  that  Cairo  was  one  of  the 
rising  cities  of  this  Union;  to  which,  'Has  it  risen  above  high- 
water  mark  yet?'  was  the  apt  response."  Coffin,  in  his  " Four 
Years  of  Fighting,"  describes  the  place  as  he  saw  it: 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  327 

The  mud  can  not  be  put  into  the  picture.  There  was  thick 
mud,  thin  mud,  sticky  mud,  slushy  mud,  slimy  mud,  deceptive  mud, 
impassable  mud,  which  appeared  to  the  sight,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
peculiarities  that  are  understood  by  the  nose;  for  within  forty  feet 
of  our  window  were  a  horse  stable  and  pig  yard,  where  slops  from 
the  houses  and  washes  from  the  sinks  were  trodden  with  the  manure 
from  the  stables.  Bunyan's  Slough  of  Despond,  into  which  all  the 
filth  and  slime  of  this  world  settled,  was  nothing  beside  the  slough 
of  Cairo.  There  were  sheds,  shanties,  stables,  pig-sties,  wood- 
piles, carts,  barrels,  boxes  —  the  debris  of  everything  thrown  over 
the  area.  *  *  There  were  truckmen  stuck  in  the  mud.  *  * 
This  was  Cairo  —  delectable  Cairo! 

Except  the  St.  Charles  Hotel  and  the  theater,  perhaps,  the 
saloons  transacted  the  only  successful  local  business;  nearly  all 
of  the  business  men  were  successfully  employed.  The  similar- 
ity of  occupations  doubtless  made  business  licenses  cheap;  any- 
how, almost  everybody  had  one.  The  walks  were  so  unsteady 
that  the  police  were  constantly  arresting  people  on  charges  of 
inebriety;  it  was  a  j^ti^  way  the  authorities  had  for  increasing 
the  city  treasure.  Thus  the  main  business  brought  the  city  a 
steady  income  at  both  ends  of  it.  The  devil  there  wept  for  joy. 
Cairo  was  sometimes  called  the  jumping-off  place.  It  is  certain 
that  Satan  obtained  a  foot-hold  there;  whoever  had  that  was  a 
fixture,  and  as  Old  Nick  had  no  boots  to  leave,  he  may  be  there 
yet.  The  decaying  boots  and  other  putrescent  garbage  emitted 
exhalations  without  stint.  They  maintained  an  individuality, 
which  to  the  uneducated  olfactory,  was  observable  only  in  its 
force  and  effect,  but  to  an  habituS^  distinctive  odors  were  percept- 
ible. Thus  Gross  reported  one  hundred  and  forty-five  varieties 
observable  during  a  walk  from  the  hotel  to  his  telegraph  office. 
During  the  war  there  were  three  places  there  carrying  on  inde- 
pendent business;  one  was  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  which  had  a 
large  till  and  a  small  waiter;  another,  the  Varieties,  which  af- 
forded a  weak  diversion  between  strong  drink;  and  last,  the  tele- 
graph office,  which  was  up  two  flights  of  stairs,  a  whisky  shop 
beinof  on  the  first  floor  and  a  billiard  saloon  on  the  second, 
through  both  of  which  patrons  passed  but  to  emerge  at  the  head 
of  the  stairway  in  a  dark,  dirty,  unfinished  rear  room  of  50  x  25, 
littered  with  insulator  blocks,  old  ladders,  boxes,  barrels,  empty 


328  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

carboys,  wire  and  the  like.  A  door  opened  from  this  room  into 
a  middle  one,  15  x  25,  where  Grove  batteries  poisoned  the  air; 
farther  on,  was  the  office,  which  had  been  a  lodge  room,  but  was 
now  partitioned  for  the  operators  to  sleep  and  work  in. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  every  operator  who  ever  stopped  there 
soon  sickened  ?  that  in  a  few  short  months  Ashley,  Gross,  Hill, 
Parsons,  Egan,  Schermerhorn,  May,  Merkley,  Peterson,  How- 
ell, Culbertson,  O'Neil,  MuUarkey,  Foley,  Walsh,  Peel,  Craig 
and  others  either  went  to  Mound  City  hospital,  home  or  the  Ya- 
zoo country  to  recruit?  Think  of  the  place  as  pictured  by 
Richardson  of  the  New  York  Tribune  about  this  time  :  ''  Cairo ^ 
a  nondescript,  saucer-like,  terraqueous  town.  '  The  season  here,' 
wrote  John  Phoenix,  'is  usually  opened  with  great  eclat  by 
small  pox,  continued  spiritedly  by  cholera,  and  closed  brilliantly 
with  yellow  fever — sweet  spot.'"  No  wonder  Fuller  wrote 
Bruch  in  September,  1863,  '*I  can  not  get  a  suitable  man  that 
will  take  that  office.  Every  one  that  I  mention  it  to  says  em- 
phatically, ''  No^  sir!  leave  first."  George  Gallup  tried  it,  sub- 
sequently, without  success,  but  after  him  came  a  wonderfully 
constituted  telegrapher.  It  was  none  other  than  W.  T.  Mason, 
who,  remarkable  as  it  may  seem,  continued  the  management  of 
Cairo  office  to  the  end  of  the  war,  and  still  lives. 

W.  W.  Forbes  and  W.  R.  Plum,  then  at  Murfreesboro,  Ten- 
nessee, volunteered  to  assist  the  exhausted  operators  at  Vicks- 
burg,  but  on  arriving  at  Cairo,  Colonel  Stager,  who  was  there, 
insisted  that  one  should  stop  there  and  the  other  at  Columbus, 
Kentucky,  where  J.  V.  Hill  was  very  sick.  Forbes  refused  and 
resigned,  but  Plum  chose  the  unseen,  and  telegraphing  General 
Asboth,  commanding  at  Columbus,  to  have  the  post  surgeon  in 
readiness,  he  started  for  that  place;  scarcely  had  he  landed  be- 
fore the  doctor  was  called. 

Colonel  Stager  had  been  sent  to  Cairo,  where  General  Buford, 
a  brave  and  gallant  officer,  commanded.  It  seems  that  Chicago 
and  St.  Louis  papers  actually  published  accounts  of  important 
military  operations  about  Vicksburg,  in  advance  of  Secretary 
Stanton's  knowing  them.  Colonel  Stager  was  sent  to  stop  the 
leak,  for  somebody  was  making  money  Or  obtaining  newspaper 
puffs  in  return  for  reliable  information.     Colonel  Stager  found 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  329 

that  despatches  from  below  reached  the  telegraph  office  through 
head-quarters,  but  he  did  not  discover  the  offender.  However, 
the  leak  ceased  when  arrangements  were  made  for  the  delivery 
of  messages  from  the  steamers  to  the  telegraph  manager.  Sul)- 
sequently,  telegraph  clearances  were  given  at  Memphis  and 
Cairo,  to  all  steamers,  of  which  the  following  is  a  sample  blank  ; 

Captain , 

Master  Steamer . 

No  telegraph  despatches  being  now  in  this  office  for 
which  your  boat  should  be  detained,  you  are  at  liberty  to 
pursue  your  voyage  at  any  time  before  —  o'clock  — .  Tf  de- 
tained beyond  that  hour,  this  clearance  is  void,  and  you 
will  report  again  at  this  office  when  you  are  ready  to  leave. 
By  order  of  Major  General  C.  C.  Washburn. 

W.  G.  Fuller,  Capt.  and  A,  Q.  M., 

Assi.  Supt.  Mil.  Tel.^  Dept.  Tenn, 


«^' 


e 


Note. — All  steamers  are  required  by  existing  orders  to  report  at  the  mil 
itary  telegraph  offices  at  Cairo,  III.,  and  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  to  receive  and 
deliver  promptly  all  Government  despatches. 

A  line  was  built  along  the  railroad  from  Union  City  to  Hick- 
man, Ky.,  in  April.  In  June,  the  troops  were  withdrawn  for 
Yicksburg.  Edwin  D.  Butler,  operator  at  Hickman,  closed  his 
office  and  went  with  the  troops.  William  Foley  closed  the  Union 
City  office,  and  soon  after  also  reached  Vicksburg.  It  was  well 
for  these  operators  that  they  left  with  the  troops.  General  As- 
both  remonstrated,  and  George  M.  Brush,  at  Clinton,  near  Colum- 
bus, consented  to  take  his  chances  at  Union  City.  During  June, 
an  effort  was  made  to  re-open  the  line  to  Memphis,  notwith- 
standing the  country  to  Grand  Junction,  from  Columbus,  was 
unguarded.  Jacob  Y.  Hill,  operator,  started  with  a  train  and 
handful  of  men,  on  the  fifteenth,  and  reaching  Trenton,  he  was 
informed  of  rebels  in  close  proximity,  but  ordering  the  train 
ahead,  he  proceeded  one  mile  south,  where  he  discovered  cavalry 
picketing  the  road,  whereupon  the  engine  was  reversed,  but  the 
rebels  fired  about  twenty-five  shots  without  damage,  and  received 
a  like  compliment  from  those  on  board.    A  month  later  the  Con- 


330  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

federates  advanced  in  considerable  force,  capturing  Brush  at 
Union  City,  taking  possession  of  Hickman,  and  driving  Hill 
and  all  the  Federals  at  Columbus  into  the  fort  there.  Repairer 
Rutherford  was  captured  outside  and  held  ten  days.  Brush  was 
stationed  at  Union  City  as  a  sort  of  advance  picket  to  Columbus, 
and  bravely  did  he  do  his  whole  duty,  for  although  the  cavalry 
dashed  into  town  early  July  10,  before  they  effected  his  capture 
he  called  up  Columbus  office,  and  sent  a  telegram  to  General 
Asboth,  explaining  that  the  town  was  occupied  by  the  enemy  in 
large  force,  thereby  enabling  Asboth  to  make  ample  preparation 
to  receive  them.  Some  way  the  captors  found  out  that  Brush 
had  advised  Asboth,  and  hence  the  partisan  soldiers  having  him 
in  charge  abused  him  shamefully,  even  threatening  to  hang  him, 
but  some  officers  removed  him  from  their  hands.  His  subsequent 
sufferings,  however,  were  very  great.  He  was  taken  to  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  where,  claiming  to  be  a  commissioned  officer  he  was 
placed  in  Libby  Prison,  instead  of  Belle  Isle.  He  remained 
eleven  months  in  this  prison,  and  was  allowed  to  correspond  with 
friends  in  the  North  and  receive  aid  from  them,  but  the  prison 
authorities,  finding  he  was  not  a  commissioned  officer,  sent  him 
to  Andersonville.  "He  who  enters  here  leaves  hope  behind." 
On  his  leaving  Libby,  the  guards  taunted  him,  and  took  from 
him  his  blankets,  money  and  some  of  his  outer  clothing.  When 
he  left  Andersonville,  he  was  clad  in  an  old  blouse  and  a  pair  of 
drawers.  He  was  exchanged  at  Savannah,  Ga.,  about  December 
1,  1864-,  after  near  a  year  and  a  half  imprisonment,  but  how 
altered !  He  was  crippled  with  scurvy.  His  face,  wan  and 
haggard,  was  so  changed  that  his  friends  at  home  (Carbondale, 
111.),  did  not  recognize  him.  It  was  nearly  a  year  more  before 
he  was  sufficiently  recruited  to  go  to  work  again.  Then  he  went 
to  Kansas,  and  thence  to  Texas,  but  while  visiting  at  home  again 
in  1873,  he  was  cruelly  murdered. 

Early  in  May,  a  new  cable  was  laid  at  Cairo,  and  the  line  ex- 
tended from  Blandville  to  Columbus.  R.  B.  Griffin  was  operat- 
ing at  Blandville,  where  there  were  no  troops.  But  it  was  an 
important,  outpost  office,  and  the  point  where  the  line  from  Pa- 
ducah  intersected,  so  that  in  case  the  direct  line  gave  out,  that 
via  Paducah  could  be  connected.   Late  in  October,  the  guerrillas 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  331 

entered  Blandville  by  one  road,  while  Griffin  who  heard  of  their 
coming  just  in  time,  escaped  by  another,  but  his  telegraph  prop- 
erty was  all  captured.  Griffin  soon  returned  to  duty  again.  A 
few  days  later  (November  6),  Colonel  Faulkner  sent  a  squad  of 
bushwhackers  to  Blandville,  to  destroy  the  office  and  capture  the 
operator  and  repairer,  but  on  the  night  the  guerrillas  appeared, 
and  just  before  they  entered.  Griffin  received  a  note  by  a  colored 
servant  from  a  young  lady  who  had  become  attached  to  him, 
saying  that  Faulkner's  men  were  coming  that  night  to  cap- 
ture him,  and  that  he  had  better  hurry  away.  This  was 
quickly  telegraphed  the  commander  at  Columbus.  A  young 
man,  a  citizen  of  Blandville,  was  Griffin's  bedfellow,  and  as 
Griffin  decamped  without  giving  notice,  this  young  man  was  ter- 
ribly surprised  on  being  pulled  from  bed  by  the  hair  and  dragged 
down  stairs  that  night,  some  of  the  captors  shouting,  ''Kill  the 

Yankee  operator,"  but  the  landlady,  who  was  the  lad's 

mother,  came  to  his  rescue  and  convinced  the  marauders  that  the 
operator  was  not  about.  However,  they  captured  Griffin's  horse 
and  instruments.  November  11,  he  reported  :  "It  was  impossi- 
ble for  me  to  save  the  property,  as  General  Smith  requested  me 
to  remain  at  my  post  as  long  as  possible,  when  he  was  aware  of 
my  danger."  This  stale  of  afi'airs  continued  until  General  Paine 
arrived  at  Paducah,  when  he  issued  orders  charging  the  citizens 
with  the  protection  of  the  telegraph,  and  threatening  their  free- 
dom and  their  homes  if  the  lines  or  operators  were  molested. 

On  the  Memphis  and  Corinth  line,  the  guerrillas  and  regular 
forces  were  even  more  annoying.  The  lines  in  West  Tennessee 
were  repaired  for  the  most  part  by  the  use  of  hand-cars,  with 
which  all  repairers  were  supplied,  and  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  the  repairer  to  be  ditched  by  the  way.  General  Hurl- 
but  had  so  denuded  this  line  of  troops  for  Grant,  that  guerrilla 
parties  were  very  bold.  We  have  already  noted  several  expedi- 
ditions  from  the  line  of  the  M.  &  C.  R.  R.,  and  will  now  merely 
add  a  telegraphic  report  to  General  Halleck  of  another  : 

The  cavalry  force  from  LaGrange,  on  the  thirteenth  (August), 
under  command  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Phillips,  Ninth  lUinois  in- 
fantry (mounted),  reached  Grenada  seventeenth  ;  drove  Slemmons, 


332  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

with  two  thousand  men  and  three  pieces  of  artillery  from  the  place, 
destroyed  fifty-seven  engines,  four  hundred  cars,  the  depot  build- 
ings, machine  shops,  several  blacksmiths'  shops,  and  a  quantity  of 
ordnance  and  commissary  stores,  and  captured  fifty  railroad  men 
and  a  number  of  prisoners.     *     *     (Signed)     S.  A.  Hurlbut. 

Major  General, 

We  do  not  know  what  operator  accompanied  Phillips. 


CIVIL  WAK  IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  333 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE  TELEGRAPH  IK  ARKANSAS  AND  MISSOURI  IN  1863.— 
HELENA.— LITTLE  ROCK  CAMPAIGN.— OTHER  CAMPAIGNS 
AND  CONFLICTS  IN  MISSOURI  AND  ARKANSAS.—  AN  OP- 
ERATOR    HUNG. 

As  affairs  in  Arkansas  in  1863  were  closely  allied  with  those 
in  and  about  Memphis,  it  is  befitting  now  to  fix  oar  attention 
upon  the  military  and  telegraphic  operations  in  that  State;  and 
inasmuch  as  Arkansas  was  in  Major  Smith's  territory,  and 
the  Little  Rock  expedition,  about  to  be  mentioned,  was  com- 
posed, in  part,  of  troops  belonging  to  the  Missouri  Department, 
it  will  be  found  convenient  to  include  in  this  chapter  a  statement 
of  operations  generally,  under  that  department  commander, 
and  Smith,  the  telegraph  superintendent. 

Retrospectively,  it  should  first  be  noted  that  the  very  day 
that  Vicksburg  surrendered.  General  Prentiss  (B.  M.),  located 
at  Helena,  Arkansas,  with  thirty-eight  hundred  Federals,  well 
posted  in  forts  and  other  defenses,  was  attacked  by  the  Confed- 
erates with  wonderful  vigor.  General  Hurlbut,  commanding  the 
Memphis  district,  telegraphed  the  result  as  follows  : 

Head-Quarters  16th  Army  Corps, 

Memphis,  Tenn.,  July  5,  1863. 

To  Major  General  Halleck,  Washington: 

General  Prentiss  was  attacked  in  force  by  rebels  under  Holmes 
and  Price  at  Helena,  yesterday.  He  estimates  the  force  at  fifteen 
thousand;  I  think  nine  thousand  will  cover  their  strength.  Pren- 
tiss sustained  their  attack  until  three  p.  m.,  from  daylight,  when  the 
rebels  were  repulsed  at  all  points,  leaving  twelve  hundred  prisoners. 
Their  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  is  about  from  five  to  six  hundred; 
Prentiss  lost  about  sixty.  He  has  already  sent  me  eight  hundred 
and  sixty  prisoners,  whom  I  send  to  Alton  to-day  on  "  Silver  Moon." 
He  has  asked  reinforcements;  I  have  sent  him  the  One  Hundred 
and  Seventeenth  Illinois;  I  can  not  spare  any  more.     The  enemy 


334  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

are  closely  picketing  everything  south  of  my  line,  and  seem  strong. 
I  have  no  fear  of  my  position  unless  Johnston  turns  north,  but  am 
unable  to  spare  men  from  Memphis,  which  I  hold  with  an  effective 
force  not  four  thousand  strong.      *      *      * 

S.  A.  HURLBUT, 

Major  General. 

Very  soon  after  Pemberton's  army  was  paroled,  Grant  di- 
rected General  Hurlbut  to  organize  an  expedition  against  Little 
Rock,  to  start  from  Helena,  and  to  this  end  added  to  Hurlbut's 
territory  "  so  much  of  his  (Grant's)  department  in  Arkansas  as 
lies  north  of  the  Arkansas  River."  In  a  cipher  telegram  (July 
28)  to  General  Schofield,  whose  head-quarters  were  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  who  was  co-operating,  Hurlbut  wrote:  "Kim- 
ball's division,*  six  thousand  infantry,  with  three  field  batteries, 
are  now  or  will  be  in  a  day  or  two  at  Helena,  ready  to  move  up- 
on the  rear  of  Price,  and  co-operate  with  you.  *  *  *  * 
I  wish  at  once  to  know  your  plan  and  probable  course  of  opera- 
tion, and  means  of  supply.  *  *  I  dread  the  results  of  a  march 
through  that  desolated  country  at  this  season,  especially  as  I  *  * 
have  no  certain  knowledge  where  Price's  force  is  to  be  found," 
and  again,  "I  shall  probably  send  Major  General  Prentiss  in 
charge  of  the  expedition; "  but  General  Grant  sent  General 
Steele. 

General  Schofield  started  General  John  W.  Davidson,  from 
Missouri,  with  six  thousand  mounted  men  and  eighteen  field 
guns,  to  reinforce  Steele.  Steele  started  early  in  August.  The 
White  River,  always  navigable  by  small  boats,  was  at  this  time 
very  high.  Four  gunboats  were  ordered  up  to  Jacksonport, 
where  Marmaduke  was  reported  to  be.  As  soon  as  these  move- 
ments were  noticed.  General  Kirby  Smith  hurried  to  Little 
Rock,  determined  to  defend  Texas  from  that  point,  and  was  re- 
ported to  have  brought  up  his  troops  from  Louisiana.  Fortifi- 
cations were  begun  on  the  road  leading  into  the  city  from  the 
east.  The  scattered  forces  and  partisans,  under  Price,  Holmes, 
Marmaduke,  Cooper  and  Cabell,  were  rapidly  concentrated  at 
Bayou  Metoe,  their  left  resting  on  Brownsville,  creating  alarm 
to  Hurlbut,  who  telegraphed  Schofield  and  Halleck  that  at  least 
another  brigade  should  be  sent  to  Steele.     To  Halleck  he  sug- 

*  Sent  from  Vicksburg. 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  335 

gested  a  movement  of  forces  from  Kosecrans'  army,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  troops  from  Corinth,  against  Johnston's  right  flank,  so 
as  to  clear  that  section  as  far  down  as  Columbus,  Mississippi,  in 
which  event  Hurlbut  could  spare  five  thousand  more  men  for 
Steele,  but  Steele  himself  did  not  expect  a  stand  to  be  made 
north  of  Arkadelphia.  The  gunboat  expedition  was  a  success, 
capturing  rebel  steamers  "Kaskaskia"  and  "Tom  Sugg,"  and 
destroying  the  bridge  over  the  Little  Ked  River,  with  a  loss  of 
two  killed  and  five  wounded,  August  20,  Hurlbut  started  an- 
other brigade  via  Helena  to  reinforce  Steele,  and  heavy  Parrott 
guns  were  ordered  from  St.  Louis,  but  probably  not  sent.  With 
this  brigade,  Steele  would  have  had  fifteen  thousand  men  and  a 
full  supply  of  field  guns;  but  the  water  was  higher  than  since 
1844,  and  in  places  four  miles  wide,  besides,  the  high  tempera- 
ture created  so  much  sickness,  it  is  reported,  that  within  a  few 
weeks  seventeen  hundred  men  were  in  hospitals.  This  must 
have  been  confined  mainly  to  the  infantry,  as  Davidson  wrote 
Schofield  from  near  Clarendon,  August  9:  "My  troops  are  in 
fine  condition;  men,  horses  and  transportation  are  better  after  a 
march  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  than  when  they  started." 
September  2,  Steele  reported  from  Brownsville  that  he  had 
pushed  a  party  to  within  fifteen  miles  of  Little  Rock;  that  he 
would  either  turn  the  works  at  Bayou  Metoe  on  the  north  and 
west,  or  move  rapidly  across  to  Pine  Bluff,  on  the  Arkansas, 
crossing  the  river  and  advancing  on  Little  Rock  from  the  south 
side,  which  was  wholly  undefended,  making  Napoleon  his  base 
of  supplies.  The  latter  plan  was  substantially  adopted,  the 
army  striking  the  river  at  Ashley's  Mills,  where  Davidson  had  a 
brush  with  the  enemy.  About  this  time.  General  Grant  started 
John  E.  Smith's  division  (four  thousand  strong,  with  two  bat- 
teries) from  Vicksburg,  to  reinforce  Steele;  not  only  did  they 
not  arrive  in  time,  but  Steele  was  forced  to  leave  one  brigade  of 
infantry  and  a  regiment  of  cavalry  behind  to  guard  the  sick  and 
trains.  It  was  well  that  Kirby  Smith's  troops  had  not  yet  ar- 
rived. Nothing  daunted,  Steele  and  Davidson  pressed  forward, 
fighting  at  the  crossing  of  Bayou  Fourche,  on  the  tenth,  and 
that  evening  entered  Little  Rock  with  flying  colors,  which  shone 
brightly  in  the  light  of  the  six  burning  steamers  and  other  prop- 
erty fired  by  Price,  the  commander,  who  retreated  to  Arkadel- 


336  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

phia,  from  whence  he  was  also  driven  soon  after.  Thus  a  rich 
cotton  country,  south  of  the  Arkansas,  was  opened  to  specula- 
tors, and  the  State  nearly  cleared  of  regular  Confederate  troops. 

While  these  things  were  progressing,  the  telegraphers  were 
not  wholly  idle.  About  the  middle  of  August,  General  Scho- 
field  ordered  Major  Smith  to  send  a  party  to  Memphis  to  con- 
struct a  telegraph  line  from  there  to  Little  Rock.  River 
soundings  for  a  cable  were  made  at  Memphis,  but  General  Hurl- 
but  could  not  protect  the  builders  from  the  guerrilla  parties, 
who  swarmed  along  the  route,  that  of  the  Memphis  &  Little 
Rock  Railroad,  so  the  party  was  ordered  to  begin  at  Helena. 
General  Steele  was  so  pressed  for  troops,  which  were  supplied 
by  water,  that  he  could  not  maintain  land  communications,  and 
that  project  fell  through.  About  the  middle  of  October,  the 
men  proceeded  to  DuVall's  Bluff  with  one  hundred  miles  of  wire 
and  transportation  J.  H.  Black  was  chief  of  the  builders,  who 
to  the  number  of  twenty,  reported  with  assistant  foreman, 
George  Allen.  D wight  Byington,  chief  in  the  operating  depart- 
ment, soon  came,  and  with  him  were  Theodore  Holt,  R.  Hec. 
Smith,  Edwin  J.  Waterhouse  and  George  B.  Allis.  Lines  were 
constructed  in  October  and  November  to  the  important  depend- 
encies upon  Little  Rock,  vis. :  DuValFs  Bluff,  via  Brownsville, 
forty-seven  miles,  Pine  Bluff,  forty-five  miles,  and  Benton,  twen- 
ty-five miles;  total,  one  hundred  and  seventeen  miles.  Bying- 
ton and  Smith  operated  at  Little  Rock.  Holt  first  at  Little 
Rock;  afterwards  at  Benton  and  DuVall's  Bluff.  Waterhouse 
at  DuVall's  and  Brownsville,  and  Allis  at  Pine  Bluff.  One  of 
the  first  things  to  be  done  to  make  the  lines  serviceable,  was  the 
killing  of  guerrilla  chief  Cotter,  which  was  soon  effected,  to  the 
great  joy  of  the  repairers.  Engines  and  cars  were  taken  by 
water  to  DuVall's  Bluff  and  the  Little  Rock  end  of  the  railroad 
worked. 

Black  deserves  a  description.  He  had  been  a  sea  captain 
and  in  his  voyaging,  learned  the  French  and  Spanish  languages, 
but  notwithstanding  his  acquirements,  including  an  easy,  fluent 
speech  and  graceful  demeanor  for  a  man  of  fifty-five,  the  boys 
persisted  in  speaking  of  him  as  that  "rough  old  tar."  It  was  his 
sea-faring  severities  of  speech  that  they  named  him  by.  A  New 
Yorker  by  early  education,  a  "salt"  by  practice,  a  river-water- 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


337 


logged  craft  by  necessity,  and  a  land-lubber  by  force  of  circum- 
stances; fat,  jolly  or  rough,  as  occasion  required,  an  excellent 
imitator  and  caricaturist,  he  was  very  loquacious  and  a  lover  of 
claret.     He  it  was  who  built  those  Arkansas  lines. 

Preparations  were  now  making  to  extend  the  telegraph  to 
St.  Louis  via  Fort  Smith  and  VanBuren,  Ark.,  and  Springfield, 
Mo.     At  this  point  it  is  best  to  digress  enough  to  discover  the 

state  of  afiairs  in  Mis- 
souri and  North  -  west 
Arkansas,  whereby  such 
a  line  became  possible. 


We  have,  in  a  former 
chapter,  followed  Curtis 
from  Missouri  to  Bates- 
ville,  and  thence  to 
Helena.  Before  he  left 
Batesville,Ark.,  General 
J.  M.  Schofield,  already 
familiar  from  experi- 
ence, with  the  wh^le 
State,  was  (June,  18^  ^ 
placed  in  command  oi 
a  department,  including 
Missouri.  Price's  Con- 
federate emissaries  had 
recently  returned  from 
his  army  to  their  respective  homes  in  most  parts  of  the  State,  and 
with  that  zeal  which  is  actuated  by  a  sense  of  duty  plus  assur- 
ances of  reward,  they  recruited  bands  in  all  parts  of  the  State. 
Their  efibrts  were  unintentionally  abetted  by  Schofield's  zealous 
labors  in  organizing  a  State  militia,  of  which  he  had  on  paper  within 
a  few  months,  the  names  of  fifty  thousand  men.  Every  citizen 
therefore,  within  the  conscript  ages,  was  obliged  to  take  arms  for 
one  side  or  the  other,  and  consequently  very  many,  who  otherwise 
would  have  remained  passive,  actively  espoused  the  Secession 
cause.  This  brought  the  conflict  of  arms  into  numerous  villages  in 
the  State  and  for  a  time  paralyzed  all  industries  outside  of  St.  Louis. 
No  State  in  the  Union  ever  experienced  six  consecutive  months 


THAT  "EOUGH  OLD  TAR." 


338  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

of  such  misery,  but  the  militia  system  was  incalculably  benefi- 
cial in  the  end.  Poindexter,  Porter,  Cobb  and  other  Confeder- 
ates less  prominent,  recruited  several  thousand  men  north  of  the 
Missouri,  while  Hughes  and  others  on  the  south  side,  collected 
many  more.  The  Federal  forces  were  subdivided,  leaving  com- 
manders J.  M.  McNeil  in  the  north-east  part  of  the  State,  Ben. 
Loan  in  the  north-west,  James  Totten  in  the  center,  E.  B.  Brown 
in  the  south-west,  Lewis  Merrill  at  St.  Louis,  and  J.  M.  Glover 
at  Rolla.  In  June,  Schofield's  available  forces  numbered  seven- 
teen thousand.  McNeil  struck  Porter's  raw  recruits,  three 
thousand  strong,  August  6,  in  Adair  County,  completely  de- 
stroying the  organization,  killing,  wounding  and  capturing  many. 
At  the  same  time  Poindexter,  with  a  smaller  force  was  near  by, 
but  separated  by  the  Chariton  River.  He  too  was  attacked,  his 
force  dispersed  or  captured.  Poindexter  himself  was  overtaken 
alone  in  the  woods.  The  Missouri  crossings  were  guarded  so  that 
no  considerable  force  could  cross  either  to  escape  south  or  aid 
those  on  the  left  bank.  The  citizens  in  North  Missouri  to  a  man 
having  pronounced  for  or  against  the  Union,  in  the  culminating 
struggle,  that  section  was  pacified  as  never  before  since  the  out- 
break of  hostilities,  and  henceforth,  there  was  comparative 
safety  for  the  operators  along  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  and 
North  Missouri  Railroads. 

South  of  the  river,  affairs  were  less  promising,  especially  as 
General  Hindman,  commander  in  Arkansas,  had  raised  a  force 
which,  considering  the  sparsely  settled  regions  of  his  command, 
seems  almost  incredible,  being  variously  placed  at  forty  thousand 
to  fifty  thousand  inen.  The  capture  of  arms  intended  for  this 
army  was  one  of  those  fortuitous  events  little  dwelt  upon  by 
historians,  but  which  may  have  saved  Missouri,  not  even  exclud- 
ing St.  Louis,  to  the  Federals.  Nevertheless  leaving  a  consid- 
erable force  in  Little  Rock,  Hindman  reached  the  Ozarks  with 
full  twenty  thousand  armed  men.  Before  this,  however,  Hughes 
had  collected  a  thousand  recruits  and  (August  11)  captured  In 
dependence,  near  the  Kansas  border,  dispersing  most  of  its 
Federal  defenders.  Coffey  and  Qaantrell  coming  into  the  State, 
joined  Hughes,  and  (August  15)  defeated  Colonel  Foster,  who 
had  eight  hundred  men,  and  two  guns,  but  Schofield  was  con- 
centrating upon  them  from  the  east,  west  and  south,  wherefore 


CIVIL  WAR   IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  339 

they  abandoned  the  State.     It  is  said  that  from  April  to  Septem- 
ber, over  one  hundred  combats  occurred  in  Missouri. 

Schofield  was  now  able  to  protect  the  State  by  concentrating 
at,  and  south  of  Springfield,  having  by  the  1st  of  October,  four 
thousand,  eight  hundred  infantry  and  five  thousand,  six  hundred 
cavalry,  and  sixteen  guns  at  Springfield,  and  three  brigades  out 
on  the  Newtonia  road.  General  Blunt  came  over  from  the  west 
of  Kansas  with  about  four  thousand  Federal  Indian  and  white 
troops,  a  portion  of  which  Indian  Federals,  had  recently  defeated 
a  Confederate  force  of  red  men  in  the  Indian  Territory.  Scho 
field,  leaving  about  five  thousand  men  to  protect  his  communica- 
tions, joined  Bhint  below,  and  thus,  though  now  nominally 
superseded  by  Curtis  at  St.  Louis,  he  had  ten  thousand  troops 
in  hand  to  contend  with  Cooper's  seven  thousand  Confederates, 
besides  General  Rains'  six  thousand,  which  were  about  the  Pea 
Ridge  battle  ground.  There  were  yet  other  enemies  east  of 
these.  After  a  partial  success.  Cooper  moved  to  Fort  Wayne, 
where  (October  22)  Blunt  whipped  him  without  killing  any  to 
speak  of,  and  his  own  force,  four  thousand  strong,  had  only 
three  men  disabled.  Rains,  unable  to  reach  Cooper,  kept  out 
of  the  way  of  the  Federals,  who,  however,  did  succeed  in  striking 
a  detachment  of  three  thousand  horse  near  Fayetteville.  Blunt 
hearing  that  Marmaduke  was  about  Cane  Hill  with  seven  thous- 
and men,  expecting  Hindman,  with  a  view  of  destroying  the 
former  before  Hindman  came  up,  attacked  him  October  28,  with 
five  thousand  men  and  thirty  guns,  driving  him  back  to  Cane 
Creek,  where  Marmaduke's  position  was  virtually  unassailable. 

In  December,  Hindman  and  Marmaduke  united  their  forces, 
aggregating  eighteen  thousand  troops.  Except  the  forces  with 
Blunt,  there  were  now  no  Federals  closer  than  near  Springfield, 
where  Herron  succeeded  Schofield,  and  now  had  six  thousand  in- 
fantry, eight  thousand  cavalry  and  a  complement  of  artillery. 
It  was  Hindman's  best  policy  to  destroy  Blunt,  and  then  move 
into  Missouri.  Blunt's  position  was  extremely  critical,  as  he  was 
about  six  days'  march  from  Springfield.  Hindman's  army  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  the  rear  of  Blunt's  forces,  but  Herron,  by 
forced  marches  with  four  thousand  troops,  attacked  the  enemy 
near  Prairie  Grove,  losing  nearly  one-fourth  of  his  command,  and 
would  have  been   overwhelmed,  but  for  the  timely  arrival  of 


340  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH  DURING  THE 

Blunt  with  reinforcements.  The  Confederates  lost  about  three 
thousand,  of  whom  nearly  one  thousand  were  slain. 

When  we  last  invited  the  reader's  attention  to  this  section, 
we  stated  that  the  telegraph  which  had  been  extended  toward 
Bentonville  was  abandoned  south  of  Cassville,  and  after  Curtis 
left,  taking  with  him  operator  Luke  O'Reilly,  whom  he  attached 
to  his  staff,  Springfield  became  the  most  southerly  office.  At 
this  point,  operator  W.  H.  Woodring  arrived  in  June,  after  an- 
other lonely  ride,  this  time  all  the  way  from  Rolla,  barely  escap- 
ing capture  by  a  dozen  woodrangers  when  near  his  journey's  end. 
General  Brown  assumed  command  there  soon  after.  J.  B.  Mor- 
gan, of  the  Fourth  Iowa  infantry,  an  ex-operator,  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  after  convalescing,  was  sent  to  the  aid 
of  operator  G.  H.  Peck,  at  Springfield,  and  remained  with  Wood- 
ring  after  Peck  left,  until  about  the  1st  of  July,  when  he  was 
sent  to  Waynesville,  and  Cassius  M.  Barnes,  who  had  rendered 
valuable  service  in  Farmington,  Miss. ,  and  Brittons  and  Moscow, 
Tenn.,  came  from  the  Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  office,  to  Woodring's 
assistance.  When  General  Schofield  arrived,  Charles  A.  Pax- 
son,  accompanied  him  as  operator.  Lucien  J.  Barnes,  Cassius' 
brother,  an  ex-telegrapher.  Assistant  Adjutant  General  on  Scho- 
field's  staff,  frequently  assisted  in  the  office.  Lucien,  early  in 
the  war,  opened  an  office  in  East  St.  Louis,  for  the  transmission 
of  very  important  messages  from  Captain  (since  General)  Lyon, 
as  Lyon  was  suspicious  ot  some  operators  then  in  the  commer- 
cial office  in  St.  Louis.  Just  before  Schofield  started  south,  as 
related,  C.  M.  Barnes  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  Henry  G.  Briggs, 
of  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  regiment,  also  an  operator,  was  de- 
tailed to  assist  Woodring. 

Early  in  January,  1863,  Marmaduke,  collecting  about  four 
thousand  troops,  mainly  horse,  and  avoiding  Blunt,  prepared  to 
assault  Springfield,  his  base  of  supplies.  Herron  having  taken 
away  the  best  troops  with  him,  leaving  under  General  E.  B. 
Brown  but  about  twelve  hundred  militia,  three  hundred  conva- 
lescents and  one  hundred  and  fifty  Iowa  troops,  the  result  was 
very  uncertain.  Brown's  few  cavalrymen  delayed  the  enemy  as 
long  as  possible,  to  give  time  to  prepare  for  the  battle.  Several 
old  iron  howitzers,  that  lay  in  the  arsenal  grounds,  were  put  on 
temporary  carriages  in  the  little  earth  fort  about  a  block  from 


CiViL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  34:1 

headquarters,  and  manned  by  experienced  gunners.  By  day- 
light of  the  eighth,  Brown  was  ready. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  seventh,  the  telegraph  line  was 
cut,  both  east  and  south,  to  prevent  Brown  from  communicating 
with  outside  forces.  The  night  of  the  seventh  was  clear,  the 
moon  shining  brightly,  and,  realizing  the  great  necessity  of  re- 
establishing the  telegraph  before  the  attack,  operator  Woodring 
called  to  him  repairers  Owen  Monday,  a  splendid  man  with  real 
Irish  pluck,  and  Bob  Bates,  who  would  go  wherever  sent.  Mon- 
day mounted  his  big  claybank,  and  going  east  found  and  repaired 
the  line  about  seven  miles  out,  and  returned  before  daylight, 
undiscovered ;  but  Bates  had  to  go  farther,  and  did  not  find  the 
break  until  near  morning.  Having  repaired  the  line  and  rested 
a  little  at  a  wayside  house,  he  was  unable  to  return  until  the 
rebels  had  begun  their  attack,  which  commenced  about  one,  p.m., 
when  suddenly  he  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  squad  some 
distance  out  of  town,  where  the  road  on  both  sides  was  skirted 
with  brush  and  timber.  Being  in  citizen's  dress,  no  immediate 
measures  were  taken  to  detain  him,  and  soon  comprehending  the 
situation,  he  spurred  his  little  mare  directly  into  the  timber, 
when  the  squad  sent  a  volley  after  him  without  effect.  Bates 
finally  reached  the  town  before  it  was  closely  invested.  Tele- 
graphic communication  being  thus  re-established,  the  operator 
was  able  to  and  did  advise  the  Commanding  General  at  St. 
Louis,  of  the  progress  of  the  battle  during  the  whole  of  the  time 
it  continued.  This  will  doubtless  be  discredited  by  some,  but 
the  same  thing  was  done  in  Tennessee  when  the  author  was  at 
the  safe  end  of  the  line.  Other  instances  occurred  in  that  and 
other  departments,  especially  that  of  the  Potomac.  R.  Von  F. 
Truenfield,  of  London,  Eng.,  author  of  ''Krieg's  Telegrajphie^'''' 
(1879),  who  has  given  the  subject  of  War  Telegraphs,  perhaps, 
greater  thought  than  any  other  writer,  and  who  was  actively  en- 
gaged for  five  years  in  the  late  war  between  Paraguay  and  Brazil, 
as  manager  of  army  telegraphs,  had  somewhat  similar  experi- 
ence. Captain  Buchholz,  another  German  author,  doubts  the 
use  of  the  telegraph  on  any  battle-field,  but  the  American  in- 
stances are  very  numerous. 

Woodring  and  Briggs  felt  little  disposed  to  remain  idle  within 
a  few  blocksof  the  fighting,  and  as  each  was  well  supplied  with 


842  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

Enfield  rifles,  they  sallied  forth  to  render  such  service  as  they 
might.  Briggs  took  position  among  the  volunteer  skirmishers, 
and  Woodring,  acting  now  as  aide  to  Brown,  anon  firing  from 
convenient  shelter,  at  short  intervals  ran  back  to  his  office  and 
telegraphed  prospects.  At  one  time,  peeping  over  a  parapet  for 
a  shot,  he  drew  a  heavy  rebel  fire,  that  was  almost  too  well  aimed. 
At  another,  while  he  was  in  his  office  just  after  dark,  lighting 
his  lamp,  preparatory  to  reporting  that  General  Brown  was 
severely  wounded,  there  was  a  sudden  crash  through  the  build- 
ing, already  well  riddled  by  bullets.  The  room  seemed  to  fill 
with  splinters  and  powdered  plaster,  and  ere  he  could  compre- 
hend what  was  the  matter,  he  saw  a  dark  ball  rolling  on  the  floor 
right  hy  his  feet.  It  was  a  shell  from  the  enemy's  cannon. 
Greatly  startled,  he  jumped  back  and  crouched  in  a  corner, 
awaiting  its  explosion,  but  happily  for  him  the  fuse  had  not 
ignited.  That  shell  passed  through  a  wooden  church  and  three 
partitions  in  the  telegraph  building  before  reaching  the  office 
where  it  struck  a  brick  chimney  and  and  fell  to  the  floor  It  is 
now  the  property  of  Superintendent  Smith.  Woodring  hurriedly 
arranged  his  Avires,  and,  taking  out  a  relay,  went  to  a  building 
facing  Market  Square,  where  the  office  was  formerly,  and  there 
he  made  his  report  to  St.  Louis. 

About  eight  o'clock,  the  enemy  withdrew,  and  Springfield 
was  saved.  About  one,  a.m.,  the  Union  gunners  fired  again,  to 
feel  for  the  enemy,  and  Woodring,  believing  the  battle  was  be- 
ing renewed,  reported  accordingly,  and  then  the  line  was  cut 
again,  leaving  the  Department  Commander,  at  St.  Louis,  and 
the  Northern  people,  in  suspense.  Marmaduke  had  taken  the 
Rolla  road,  cut  the  wire  in  many  places  and  strung  it  across  the 
highway  behind,  as  he  advanced. 

Since  two,  p.  m.  ,  no  tidings  had  come  from  brave  Briggs. 
Let  us  now  follow  him.  In  company  with  a  lieutenant  and  a 
few  others,  he  took  position  behind  some  shade  trees,  not  far 
from  the  two  story  brick  seminary  building,  lately  used  as  a  mil- 
itary prison,  which  the  enemy  captured,  and  from  which  they 
were  inflicting  much  injury.  Briggs  and  the  others  were  endeav- 
oring to  pick  off"  some  of  the  enemy,  and  in  so  doing  he  fired 
every  cartridge  but  one.  His  position  becoming  very  uncomfort- 
able at  this  time,  the  lieutenant  advised  Briggs  to  fall  back,  but 


CIVn.  WAR   IN  THE   UNITED   STATES.  343 

he  wanted  one  more  shot,  and  in  exposing  himself  to  secure  it, 
he  was  himself  shot  and  instantly  killed.  Woodring  sallied 
forth,  early  on  the  ninth,  to  find  his  comrade  operator.  After 
some  search  and  inquiry,  he  learned  that  he  had  been  killed, 
and  hurrying  to  a  back  porch  near  the  office,  he  saw  the  body  of 
poor  Briggs,  cold  in  death.  A  bullet  had  entered  an  eye  and 
passed  through  the  head.  While  the  Union  people  of  the  North 
were  proudly  discussing  the  victory,  a  few  days  later,  at  Delavan, 
Wis.,  Henry  G.  Briggs'  young  wife  and  two  children  were  be- 
wailing the  death  of  this  gallant  volunteer,  whose  remains 
lie  buried  in  the  soldiers'  cemetery  in  the  town  he  assisted  so 
bravely  in  defending. 

The  Federals  lost  fourteen  killed  and  one  hundred  and  forty- 
five  wounded;  their  antagonist's  loss  exceeded  two  hundred. 

A  new  attack  was  expected  the  next  day,  and  preparations 
were  made  by  Colonel  George  H.  Hall  for  a  final  defense  in  the 
main  fort  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  town  from  where  the 
fighting  on  the  eighth  chiefly  occurred.  Woodring  burned  his 
old  messages,  hid  his  instruments,  except  relay  and  key,  which, 
with  recent  telegrams  and  cipher  key,  he  took  to  the  fort,  where, 
from  complete  exhaustion,  he  lay  and  slept  till  near  dark,  when, 
Colonel  Hall  desiring  to  telegraph  for  reinforcements.  Wood- 
ring  volunteered  to  transmit  them  from  the  nearest  point  where 
he  could  get  an  electric  current  from  St.  Louis  batteries,  pro- 
vided an  escort  was  furnished.  Accordingly,  as  directed,  he 
reported  at  dark  with  repairer  Bates,  received  the  despatches, 
and  with  twenty-one  men  of  the  Seventh  Missouri  cavalry  pro- 
ceeded slowly,  owing  to  the  wires  across  the  road.  Twenty-four 
miles  out  the  men  began  to  object  to  proceeding  farther,  and 
soon  decided  to  return  to*their  command,  the  sergeant  command- 
ing them  exercising  little  control.  The  operator  called  for  vol- 
unteers and  only  one  man  besides  Bates  responded  ;  but  with 
these  two  men  Woodring  pressed  forward,  determined  on  his 
mission.  Ten  miles  beyond,  they  discovered  a  small  party  of 
mounted  men,  armed,  and  dressed  partly  in  blue,  the  rest  in 
jeans,  looking  not  unlike  Marmaduke's  men.  They,  it  seems,  were 
suspicious  of  the  three  and  cried,  "Halt!  advance  one;"  but 
the  trio,  considering  their  inferior  numbers,  deemed  the  demand 
unfair,  and  successfully  insisted  that  one  of  the  others  advance. 


344  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

As  he  approached,  the  three  separated,  two  being  on  the  side 
and  one  in  the  center,  prepared  to  dash  through  the  others  if 
they  were  rebels;  but  they  were  the  advance  guard  of  a  large 
militia  command  en  route  for  Springfield,  but  in  fact  diverged  on 
Hartsville.  That  night  (tenth),  after  a  grand  reception  at  Leb- 
anon, where  the  operator  and  others  were  duly  lionized.  Wood, 
ring  himself  telegraphed  the  messages  to  St.  Louis,  not  having 
been  able  to  get  circuit  therefrom  west  of  Lebanon.  The  North 
had  understood  that  Springfield  was  captured.  The  cowardly 
sergeant  was  reduced  to  the  ranks. 

Marmaduke,  moving  easterly,  encountered  Colonel  MerrilPs 
Twenty-first  Iowa  at  Woods  Fork,  which  place  he  flanked  after 
a  short  renconter,  and  reaching  Hartsville  again  found  Merrill 
in  his  front,  with  reinforcements,  and  after  a  short  and  sharp 
conflict,  resulting  in  a  Union  loss  of  seventy-eight  killed  and 
wounded,  Merrill  retired  to  Lebanon  for  ammunition,  and  Mar- 
maduke hurried  into  Arkansas,  where  he  was  attacked  at  Bates- 
ville  by  the  Fourth  Missouri  cavalry  and  driven  across  the 
river. 

Owing  to  bitter  complaints  to  the  effect  that  Hindman  was 
incompetent  and  tyrannical.  General  Price  took  command  in  the 
department  and  sent  Marmaduke  with  a  larger  force  than  before 
into  South-eastern  Missouri,  to  Frederickton,  from  which  point 
he  moved  against  Cape  Girardeau,  where  he  fought  McNeil's 
force,  April  25,  but  withdrew  and  retreated  to  Arkansas  on 
discovering  the  approach  of  gunboats  and  reinforcements  for 
McNeil. 

J.  D.  McCleverty,  operator  at  Frederickton  at  this  time,  was 
captured  and  handcuffed.  Dr.  Boyd,  who  was  acting  as  Confed- 
erate surgeon,  was  quite  a  fair  operator,  excelling  McCleverty, 
who,  in.  the  vernacular  of  the  key,  was  but  a  plug.  Boyd 
thought  to  deceive  the  Yankees  as  to  Marmaduke's  objective, 
and  possessing  himself  of  the  Frederickton  office,  he  called  St. 
Louis  and  asked  for  R.  C.  Clowry,  who  responded;  whereupon, 
Boyd,  feigning  to  represent  McCleverty,  said:  "I  have  just  es- 
caped from  Frederickton.  Marmaduke  has  taken  the  place  and 
I  have  learned  just  enough  to  know  that  he  will  move  from 
Frederickton  on  Rolla.  I  am  in  the  woods  and  have  tapped  the 
line  to  report  these  facts.    Mc."     But  Clowry  knew  at  once  that 


CIVIL   WAR   IN    THE    UNITED   STATES.  345 

it  was  not  Mc  at  the  key,  and  told  Boyd  that  his  trick  would  not 
work,  and  calling  up  Pilot  Knob  instructed  the  operator  to  cut 
Frederickton  out.  Boyd  subsequently  acknowledged  himself 
beaten,  adding  that  he  then  declared  he  would  never  attempt  an- 
other Yankee  trick. 

The  afiairs  at  Fayetteville,  Arkansas,  April  10,  between 
Colonel  M.  L.  Harrison's  Federal  force  and  General  CabelFs 
two  thousand  cavalry;  May  20,  between  Colonel  Phillips'  eight 
hundred  at  Fort  Blunt  and  Colonel  Coffey's  three  thousand 
troopers;  and  July  1,  in  the  Indian  Territory,  between  Colonel 
Williams'  thirteen  hundred  Unionists  and  seven  hundred  Texans 
and  some  cowardly  Indians  under  chief  Standwatie,  and  between 
Blunt's  command  of  three  thousand  and  Cooper's  six  thousand, 
July  17,  a  little  south  of  Fort  Blunt,  in  all  of  which  the  Union 
troops  were  victorious,  comprehend  substantially  the  further 
fighting,  which  may  be  denominated  battles,  within  this  depart- 
ment during  the  year  1863.  But  guerrilla  raids  continued  to 
be  the  order  of  the  day,  though  not  so  frequent  and  mischievous 
as  before,  if  we  except  the  wanton  and  merciless  conduct  of  that 
arch  fiend,  Quantrell,  who,  with  three  hundred  bushwhackers, 
fell  upon  the  defenseless  and  unsuspecting  city  of  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  at  daylight,  August  21,  and  ravaged  it  with  fire  and 
sword. 

Another  outlaw,  Hildebrand,  made  frequent  raids  with  his 
gang  of  marauders.  On  the  night  of  July  10,  he  appeared  at 
Irondale,  eight  miles  south  of  Mineral  Point.  About  seven 
months  previous.  Miss  Louisa  E.  Volker,  a  most  estimable 
young  lady,  had  relieved  C.  T.  Barrett,  operator  at  Mineral 
Point,  and  became  at  once  not  only  the  first  lady  operator  in  the 
corps,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  but  the  only  operatrix  who  had 
ever  telegraphed  on  that  side  of  the  river.  Entering  upon  du- 
ties which,  heretofore,  had  devolved  exclusively  upon  young 
men,  she  realized  that  peculiar  feeling  of  responsibility  which 
arises  from  an  important  but  experimental  trust,  and  hence,  with 
all  the  zeal  of  a  leader,  she  undertook  the  fulfillment  of  this  new 
rdle  of  feminine  usefulness  in  war,  in  which  she  was  stoutly  sup- 
ported by  such  men  as  Noel,  Fletcher,  McMurtry,  French, 
Macklind,  Grey  son,  Winfield  and  Walker,  brave  and  loyal 
Unionists  of  that  locality.     Miss  Volker  was  called  at  midnight. 


346  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

July  10,  to  telegraph  to  the  commander  at  Pilot  Knob  to  inter- 
cept Hiklebrand,  but  after  robbing  a  store,  he  and  his  men  hur- 
ried east  of  the  river  and  scattered  in  Illinois. 

On  a  former  occasion,  the  station  six  miles  north  of  the 
Point  was  attacked  by  cavalry,  surprising  Captain  Lippencott's 
company,  which  being  driven  off,  collected  at  Mineral  Point. 
Miss  Volker  had  previously  ascertained  the  presence  of  the  ene- 
my and  telegraphed  to  Pilot  Knob  the  situation,  and  started  the 
repairer  north  to  mend  the  line  if  possible,  which  was  actually 
accomplished  during  the  night,  she  sitting  by  the  instrument  all 
night  in  expectation  of  an  attack  on  Minerrvl  Point. 

In  October,  the  line  was  extended  from  Sedalia  to  Warrens- 
burg,  where  were  General  Brown's  head-quarters,  and  in  Decem- 
ber, Dwight  Byington  was  relieved  at  Little  Kock  by  Eobert 
C.  Clowry  and  ordered  to  Leavenworth,  to  take  charge  of  the 
military  line  being  rebuilt  between  Fort  Scott  on  the  Missouri- 
Kansas  border,  and  Kansas  City. 

The  several  combats  noted  in  this  chapter,  especially  "Prai- 
rie Grove,"  where,  thanks  to  the  military  telegraph,  Herron 
saved  Blunt's  army,  practically  destroyed  the  rebellion  north  of 
VanBuren,  Ark.,  by  the  summer  of  1863,  and  when  Steele  drove 
Price  from  Little  Rock  to  Arkadelphia,  that  vast  territory  north 
of  tjie  Arkansas  River  was  cut  off  from  the  Confederacy,  and 
telegraphic  communication  with  St.  Louis  thus  became  a  possi- 
ble desideratum.  Thus  it  occurred,  that  Charles  A.  Paxson,  chief 
operator  in  South-west  Missouri  in  September,  and  Robert  C. 
Clowry  at  Little  Rock  in  December,  began  extending  the  lines 
to  Fort  Smith,  on  the  Arkansas  River,  where  it  crosses  the 
western  border  of  Arkansas.  On  the  14th  of  September,  Pax- 
son's  builders  were  driven  back  to  Cassville,  but  McNeil  fur- 
nished protection,  and  late  in  September,  it  was  rebuilt  and 
extended  to  Fayetteville,  where  H.  H.  Taylor  operated  at  M.  La 
Rue  Harrison's  head-quarters;  and  in  October,  to  Fort  Smith, 
four  hundred  and  three  miles  from  St.  Louis. 

In  the  fall  of  1863,  Major  Smith  appointed  Charles  A.  Ham- 
mann  assistant  manager  of  telegraphs  within  his  department, 
and  as  shown,  Clowry  was  sent  to  Little  Rock. 

Robert  C.  Clowry,  was,  on  the  2Yth  of  October,  appointed 
captain  and  assistant  quarter-master,  and  assigned  to  duty  by 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


347 


Colonel  Stager,  as  assistant  superintendent  of  Federal  military 
telegraphs  within  the  Department  of  Arkansas,  with  head-quarters 
at  Little  Rock.  We  have  seen  something  of  dowry's  labors  in 
the  military  service,  and  now  that  he  has  become  a  commissioned 
officer  therein,  a  word  concerning  his  antecedents.  It  will  be 
observed  that  none  of  the  officers,  while  boys  learning  telegraphy 
were  especially  favored  with  means,  and  it  is  a  remarkable  fact 
that  the  great  majority  of  telegraph  operators  now  or  heretofore 
manipulating  the  key  in 
this  country,  were  child- 
ren of  poor  parents,  or 
of  those  whose  circum- 
stances were  somewhat 
straightened;  very  many 
were  messenger  boys, 
among  whom,  besides 
the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
may  be  named,  Andrew 
Carnegie,  Robert  Pit- 
cairn,  David  McCargo, 
T.  B.  A.  David,  Charles 
J.  Merriwether,  George 
H.  Grace,  and  George 
K.  Leete,  the  first  three 
of  whom  became  super- 
intendents of  railroads, 
the  second  three  of  telegraphs  and  the  last  an  adjutant  general,  on 
General  Grant's  staff.  Mr.  Carnegie,  after  endearing  himself  to  the 
people  of  his  native  place,  in  Scotland,  by  his  munificent  benefac- 
tions, has,  with  rare  generosity  offered  to  contribute  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  the  City  of  Pittsburgh  for 
library  purposes.  It  was  in  that  city  that  young  Carnegie  was 
a  telegraph  messenger.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  a  prodigy  among 
inventors  of  electrical  apparatus,  if  not  in  other  scientific  branch- 
es,  was  a  newsboy  before  he  became  a  telegrapher. 

At  an  early  age,  young  Clowry  became  a  pupil  of  D.  C.  Jen- 
eson,  manager  of  the  Joliet,  111. ,  telegraph  office,  whom  he  was 
to  serve  six  months  as  messenger,  in  consideration  of  being 
taught  to  telegraph.     The  duties  of  a  telegraph  messenger  exact 


EGBERT   C.  CLOWRY. 


348  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

the  utmost  promptness,  which  is  one  of  the  best  lessons  a  youth 
can  acquire,  and  it  "is  not  unlikely  that  Kobert's  services  under 
Jeneson,  conduced  as  much  as  any  other  one  thing  to  make  him 
the  reliable  oflScer  he  subsequently  became,  dowry's  first  office 
was  at  Lockport,  111.,  which  he  took  in  the  fall  of  1852,  at  the 
expiration  of  his  service  with  Jeneson,  and  having  there  acquired 
greater  proficiency  in  the  art,  and  experience  in  the  business,  he 
was  made  manager  of  the  Springfield,  111.,  office,  December  13, 
1853.  By  the  spring  of  1859,  he  had  so  approved  himself  among 
telegraph  men  as  to  justify  his  appointment,  then  made,  to  the 
office  of  superintendent  of  the  St.  Louis  and  Missouri  River  and 
Kansas  Telegraph  Companies,  generally  called  the  Stebbins  lines, 
and  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  as  his  head-quarters  were  in  St.  Louis 
he  was  also  made  chief  operator  of  the  consolidated  office  there, 
and  so  continued  until  the  middle  of  April  following,  when  he 
was  chosen  superintendent  and  secretary  of  the  Missouri  and 
Western  Telegraph  Company,  with  head-quarters  for  a  time  as 
before,  and  then  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  where  he  remained  until  in- 
duced by  George  H.  Smith,  formerly  manager  of  the  St.  Louis 
consolidated  office,  to  enter  the  Military  Telegraph  Corps.  At 
this  writing,  his  progress  has  indeed  been  flattering,  nor  can  it 
be  doubted  that  it  rejoices  all  w^ho  know  him.  It  is  not  always 
that  merit  has  its  reward,  but  when  it  is  recompensed,  all  just 
men  are  pleased. 

Captain  Clowry  took  down  the  Benton  wire  and  also  about 
twenty  miles  of  line  leading  to  Des  Arc,  with  which,  and  new  wire, 
he  proceeded  late  in  December,  to  build  toward  Fort  Smith  to  meet 
Captain  Smith's  party,  which  started  earlier  therefrom  and  built 
to  Dardanelles,  half  way  (eighty-five  miles),  'but  for  want  of  in- 
sulators, which  were  long  delayed,  the  line  was  not  completed 
until  February  13,  1864,  at  which  time  the  telegraph,  five  hun- 
dred and  seventy-three  miles  long,  was  in  admirable  working 
condition  from  St.  Louis  to  Little  Rock.  Offices  at  Clarksville, 
Dardanelles  and  Lewisburg  were  opened  on  the  Fort  Smith  line. 
Ewing  L.  Armstrong  relieved  Woodring  at  Springfield,  and  the 
latter  went  to  Fort  Smith,  where  he  was  aided  by  Joseph  E. 
Sears.  Joseph  Hansen  worked  the  VanBuren  office;  at  Darda- 
nelles were  J.  L.  Sponagle  and  James  W.  Chandler;  at  Lewis- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  349 

burg,  Thomas  M.  Peeler  and  Seeley  B.  Knapp,  and  at  Clarks- 
ville,  James  A.  Shrigley  operated. 

But  few  incidents  remaining  unnoticed  occurred  in  Arkansas 
and  Missouri  during  the  period  covered  by  this  chapter.  Keyes 
Danforth,  a  repairer,  was  captured  between  Frederickton  and 
Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.  Henry  Wilson  and  C.  B.  Applegate, 
repairers,  near  Memphis,  and  T.  R.  Berryhill,  operator,  was 
captured  at  Arkansas  Post.  October  25,  1863,  Marmaduke 
attacked  Colonel  Clayton,  at  Pine  Bluff,  and  was  repulsed. 

December  30,  David  O.  Dodd,  a  Confederate  operator,  was 
arrested  in  Little  Rock,  tried  by  court-martial,  and  executed  as  a 
spy.  The  following  is  the  history  of  that  sad  affair.  Dodd  was 
a  young  man,  of  about  eighteen  years,  who  had  never  held  any 
position  of  consequence  as  an  operator,  and  was  not  in  any  em- 
ploy when  taken,  but  had  been  on  Superintendent  Baker's  lines 
a  short  time  before  the  coming  of  General  Steele  to  Little  Rock. 
After  Steele's  appearance  there,  Dodd  and  his  father  continued 
to  reside  in  the  city,  but  they  concluded  to  move  to  Mississippi, 
and  got  as  far  as  Camden,  Ark, ,  when  the  father  bethought  him 
of  some  business  at  Little  Rock,  which  had  been  overlooked. 
David  was  sent  back  to  attend  to  it.  It  was  stated  and  generally 
believed  that  young  Dodd,  in  order  to  obtain  a  pass  through  the 
Confederate  lines,  agreed  to  bring,  on  his  retiirn,  information 
concerning  Steele's  Little  Rock  fortifications.  David,  after 
remaining  several  days  in  Little  Rock,  passed  the  first  Federal 
picket  line  unmolested,  but  the  outer  pickets  searched  his  person 
and  baggage,  and  were  about  to  let  him  pass,  when  certain  curi- 
ous pencil  marks  in  his  memorandum  book  caused  a  suspicion 
that  they  might  be  translated.  He  was  sent  to  head-quarters, 
where,  upon  examination,  the  mysterious  dots  and  dashes  were 
shown  to  be  telegraphic  characters,  disclosing  a  complete  and 
comprehensive  description  of  the  Federal  fortifications  about  the 
city.  It  is  said  that  the  information  therein  contained  could 
not  possibly  have  been  obtained  by  Dodd  alone. 

A  court-martial  was  convened.  Captain  dowry  testified  to 
the  meaning  of  the  characters,  and  Dodd  admitted  that  the  facts 
so  written  were  furnished  by  a  party  or  parties,  who  knew  all 
about  the  works.  He  was  sentenced  to  death.  His  father's  rel- 
atives and  friends  exerted  all  their  influence  with  General  Steele^ 


350  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

to  induce  him  either  to  grant  a  pardon,  or  commute  the  sentence 
to  imprisonment.  Steele  finally  consented  to  consider  their  peti- 
tions favorably,  provided  Dodd  revealed  the  name  of  the  party 
from  whom  he  derived  the  important  information  and  all  the 
facts  pertaining  thereto,  but  Dodd  was  firm  and  unyielding,  say- 
ing that  he  preferred  to  die  rather  than  betray  a  friend.  A  last 
agonizing  appeal  was  made  to  him  on  the  scafibld,  to  accept  the 
conditions  imposed  by  General  Steele,  and  live,  but  he  waived  off 
his  broken-hearted  relatives,  and  bade  the  executioner  do  his 
duty,  as  nothing  would  break  the  seal  placed  upon  his  lips.  He 
was  buried  in  Mount  Holly  cemetery,  in  Little  Rock.  A  small, 
plain  marble  shaft,  erected  by  his  friends,  marks  his  grave — a 
tribute  to  the  bravery  of  a  beardless  boy,  who  truly  died  that 
others  might  live.  The  monument  bears  the  simple  inscription  : 
''Here  lie  the  remains  of  David  O.  Dodd,  bom  in  Lavacca  Coun 
ty,  Texas,  November  10, 1846  ;  died  January  8,  1864." 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  351 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

THE  TELEGRAPH  IN  VIRGINIA  DURING  THE  FREDERICKS- 
BURG AND  CHANCELLORSVILLE  CAMPAIGNS.— SUFFOLK. 
—VARIOUS  RAIDS. 

When  Burnside  assumed  command  (November  8,  1862),  his 
army  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  thousand  men  was, 
so  to  speak,  in  bivouac.  Under  McClellan  it  would  have  gone  to 
Culpeper  C.  H.,  but  Burnside  directed  its  march,  which  began 
November  15,  to  Falmouth,  with  Fredericksburg  as  an  objective. 
Lee,  who  left  the  Antietam  Avith  less  than  forty  thousand  troops, 
passed  Winchester  with  about  seventy -five  thousand,  and  at 
Fredericksburg  had  about  eighty-five  thousand  able  bodied,  of 
all  arms. 

The  telegraph  had  become  an  established  necessity.  It  had 
ceased  to  be  a  desideratum^  for  it  had  grown  to  be  an  essential. 
Bumside's  telegraphic  facilities  were  less  exposed  than  Pope's 
had  been,  as  he  had  fewer  outposts  that  it  was  important  to 
defend.  Most  of  those  he  did  have,  however,  w^ere  in  telegraphic 
communication  with  the  commander  and  the  capital.  On  the 
Orange  &  Alexandria  Railroad,  an  outpost  office  was  kept  open 
at  Union  Mills.  Centreville,  a  little  above,  was  also  open.  The 
wire  to  Fredericksburg,  via  Alexandria  and  Acquia  Creek,  was 
a  short  line,  and  easily  guarded.  These  were  the  only  ones  in 
the  department,  which  needed  special  protecting  care.  The  offi- 
ces in  the  department,  in  December,  were,  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  the  War  Department,  General  McCallum's,  Arsenal, 
Navy  Yard,  General  Casey's,  Head-quarters  of  Defenses  of 
Washington,  Tennallytown,  Arlington  and  Long  Bridge ;  in 
Virginia,  Alexandria,  Fairfax  C.  H.,  Centreville,  Burkes,  Staf- 
ford C.  H.,  Fairfax  Station,  Union  Mills,  Dumfries,  Acquia 
Creek,  Brook  Station,  Potomac  Creek,  Stoneman's  Siding,  Fal- 
mouth, Generals  Burnside's  and  Sumner's  head-quarters,  York- 
town,  Williamsburg,  Fort  Monroe,  Norfolk,  Sufiblk,  Cherry- 


352  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

stone,  Drammondstovvn,  Eastville  and  Harpers  Ferry ;  besides 
which,  there  were,  in  Delaware  and  Maryland,  a  number  more, 
making  in  all  forty-eight  offices,  worked  by  eighty-eight  opera- 
tors. 

Before  starting  his  army  for  Falmouth,  Burnside  arranged, 
or  believed  he  had  done  so,  with  Halleck,  with  sufficient  definite- 
ness  to  leave  no  mistaking,  for  the  arrival  of  pontoons  at  a  point 
opposite  Fredericksburg,  when  the  army  should  appear,  but  they 
were  long  delayed,  and  Lee  was  thereby  enabled  to  encamp 
about  Fredericksburg  and  strengthen  his  position.  His  army 
behind,  above  and  below  Fredericksburg,  occupied  a  line  about 
six  miles  long. 


It  was  while  Burnside  was  preparing  to  cross  and  give  battle 
and  Lee  was  busy  on  Marye's  and  Willis'  hills  and  other  natur- 
ally strong  positions,  that  several  cavalry  incursions  were  made, 
two  of  which  interrupted  telegraphic  communication,  the  first  at 
Poolesville,  Maryland,  and  the  other  at  Dumfries.  J.  L.  Cherry 
was  the  operator  at  Poolesville  when  (November  25)  Major 
White's  battalion  of  Independent  troops  —  probably  a  polite 
name  for  guerrillas,  the  Unionists  residing  thereabouts  called 
them  bushwhackers,  but  General  Lee  mentions  them  as  a  part 
of  General  Jones'  command — suddenly  entered  the  town,  which 
lies  across  the  Potomac,  say  five  miles  from  Balls  Bluflf.  They 
numbered  about  sixty.  Five  hundred  stand  of  arms  and  forty 
thousand  rounds  of  ammunition  had  been  stored  in  Poolesville 
for  some  time,  and  as  these  constituted  a  tempting  bait  for  the 
Confederates,  it  was  but  natural  to  expect  a  raid.  Indeed, 
Poolesville  had  been  in  a  state  of  exacting  unrest  for  many 
weeks,  of  which  fact  the  following  telegram,  found  in  the  Re- 
port of  the  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War,  is  but  partial 
proof : 

Head-quarters  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
Bloomfield,  9  p.  m. 

To  General  H.  W.  Halleck,  General-in-Chief: 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  for  your  information  the  accom- 
panying despatch,  which  has  been  received  from  Poolesville. 

(Signed)  G.  B.  McClellan, 

Major  General, 


CIVIL  WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  353 

PooLESviLLE,  November  3,  1862. 
To  Seth  S.  Williams,  A.  A.  G.: 

Last  evening  and  this  morning,  I  learned  the  following  informa- 
tion from  different  reliable  persons.  They  report  a  force  of  Stu- 
art's cavalry  concealed  in  a  large  woods  about  five  miles  from  here, 
between  Frederick  and  Rockville  road,  watching  an  opportunity 
to  escape.  One  of  the  men  says  he  saw  a  farmer  in  that  vicinity 
taking  provisions  for  them  at  midnight,  and  he  also  saw  three  or 
four  of  the  rebels  take  provisions  from  the  farmer.  Their  numbers 
can  not  be  ascertained,  but  it  is  not  very  small  from  what  I  can 
hear.  They  are  some  of  Stuart's  left  behind,  or  that  got  cut  off 
when  he  made  the  last  raid  over  here. 

P.  S.— No  troops  here.  J*  L-  Cherry,  Operator. 

Rumors  were  rife  of  the  coming  of  the  enemy  some  days  be- 
fore Major  White  appeared,  and  Cherry,  to  save  the  arms  and 
ammunition,  telegraphed  to  the  Secretary  of  War  the  fact  that 
they  were  in  Poolesville.  At  this  time  eighteen  soldiers — mem- 
bers of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment  of  infantry — were  stationed 
there.  Cherry  also  telegraphed  to  Colonel  Stager  the  situation, 
and  asking  instructions,  was  directed  to  remain  at  his  post  until 
he  saw  the  enemy  coming.  The  office  was  in  the  second  story 
of  the  Town  Hall,  and  the  soldiers  were  quartered  on  the  first 
floor.  A  guard  was  stationed  at  the  office  at  night  only.  Twen- 
ty-five Federal  cavalry,  and  wagons  which  they  escorted,  left 
Poolesville  with  the  five  hundred  small  arms  and  the  ammuni- 
tion, for  Washington,  on  the  evening  of  the  twenty-fourth.  At 
^y^  o'clock,  A.  M.,  the  next  day,  and  but  a  few  minutes  after  the 
office  guard  had  gone  down.  Cherry  was  awakened  by  the  rat- 
tling of  sabers  and  heavy  tramp  of  men.  His  office  was  filling 
with  Major  White's  men,  who  had  already  secured  the  guard  be- 
low. 

As  soon  as  Cherry  dressed,  he  found  opportunity  to  loosen 
the  adjustment  cord  or  spring  used  to  draw  the  armature  from 
the  relay  magnet  Avhen  the  key  or  circuit  is  open.  This  took 
but  a  second  and  prevented  the  instrument  from  ticking.  Cherry 
then  began  calling,  "DI"  —  War  Department  —  intending  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  operator  there  and  to  briefly  relate  what 
had  occurred,  but  just  as  he  began,  Lieutenant  Dorsey,  second 

23 


354  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

in  command,  stepped  up  and  peremptorily  ordered  the  operator 
to  leave  "that  thing"  alone.  Cherry  left  it  alone  and  was 
marched  to  the  center  of  the  town  with  the  captive  soldiers. 
Major  White,  who  once  lived  in  that  neighborhood,  left  the 
main  body  of  his  command  to  Dorsey,  while  he  attended  to 
some  matters  outside.  Dorsey  told  Cherry  he  would  parole  all 
but  himself.  The  thought  of  Libby  prison  under  such  circum- 
stances is  a  natural  precursor  to  thoughts  of  escape,  and  al- 
though Dorsey  was  talkative  and  pleasant,  even  promising 
Cherry  a  good  horse  to  ride,  the  lad  was  determined  on  escape. 
Plans,  like  wants,  grow  on  one;  immature  ideas,  like  unknown 
by-paths,  lead,  ofttimes,  to  happy  ends;  and  sometimes  results 
only,  justify  the  means  employed.  Cherry's  scheme  grew  on 
him,  for  his  first  idea  found  expression  as  follows:  "  Dorsey, 
have  a  drink  ? "  From  that  moment  Dorsey 's  heart  began  to 
open  toward  the  young  man,  and  the  two  were  soon  seated  in 
the  rear  room  of  a  store,  talking  over  the  subject  of  paroles  as 
they  imbibed  a  liquor  called  "  Hail,  fellow,  well  met;  "  but  Dor- 
sey, notwithstanding,  insisted  on  taking  the  operator  to  General 
Longstreet.  It  was  then  that  Cherry  thought  to  get  the  rebels 
all  drunk.  That  was  a  big  undertaking,  but  undaunted,  he 
stepped  to  the  front  and  extended  a  general  invitation.  Every 
trooper  had  dust,  cobwebs  or  mildew  in  his  throat,  which  he 
wished  to  wash  down,  and  as  they  came  up  to  face  that  enemy 
which  has  made  more  graves  than  wars  have,  Cherry  arranged 
with  the  keeper  to  give  them  as  much  as  they  would  drink,  after 
which  he  retired  to  the  little  room  in  the  rear,  where  sat  the  lieu- 
tenant. Dorsey,  however,  soon  went  into  another  store  and  be- 
gan writing  paroles.  Cherry  joined  him  and  assisted,  hoping  to 
prevail  on  the  officer  to  include  him.  *By  and  by  Dorsey  stepped 
out,  leaving  the  operator  hard  at  his  self-imposed  task,  and  be- 
fore it  was  completed  he  was  informed  that  every  rebel  had  left 
the  town.  It  was  soon  revealed  that  Major  White  returned  and 
found  his  soldiers  nearly  all  drunk,  and  to  save  them  from  cap- 
ture by  any  handful  of  men  that  might  come  along,  he  hurried 
off  and  recrossed  the  Potomac. 

Cherry  was  soon  after  ordered  to  open  a  testing  office  at  Oc- 
coquan,  Virginia,  a  place  fifteen  miles  south  of  Alexandria,  but 
in  three  days  food  and  forage  became  scarce  and  he  was  ordered 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  355 

to  try  Dumfries,  ten  miles  below.  This  place  he  reached  at  two 
p.  M.,  and  though  the  people  seemed  to  have  enough  to  eat,  they 
had  a  cadaverous  look,  and  appeared  in  eyeing  the  Yankee  ope- 
rator to  make  perpendicular  wrinkles  between  their  half-closed 
eyes,  a  kind  of  scowl  that  foreboded  no  good  ;  so  Cherry  went 
on  to  near  Stafford  Court  House,  and  connecting  his  instrument, 
wired  Colonel  Stager  that  Dumfries  was  an  unsafe  place  to  re- 
main in  and  he  did  not  wish  to  be  captured  twice  in  two  weeks 
if  it  could  be  avoided.  It  so  happened  that  Frank  Lamb,  who 
had  been  operating  in  Centreville,  thereupon  started  to  open 
Dumfries  office,  escorted  by  twenty-five  cavalrymen,  but,  by  a 
strange  coincidence.  General  Wade  Hampton,  with  about  nine 
hundred  rebel  cavalry,  was  en  route  to  close  it  and^tear  down  the 
wire.  Lamb  and  escort  reached  Dumfries  about  nine  p.  m.  ,  De- 
cember 11,  and  about  five  a.  m.,  the  next  day,  Hampton  made 
them  all  prisoners. 

The  days  lost  awaiting  the  arrival  of  pontoons  made  Bum- 
side's  advance  across  the  Rappahannock  extremely  hazardous, 
for  the  enemy  was  in  readiness,  when  on  the  11th  of  December, 
the  pontoons  opposite  and  below  the  city  were  laid.  By  noon 
of  the  thirteenth,  the  battle  had  fairly  begun  and  Marye's  Hill  had 
become  the  scene  of  dreadful  carnage.  Burnside  had  given  his 
orders,  and  from  Stafford  Heights,  opposite  Fredericksburg,  was 
watching  the  battle  two  miles  away.  What  reports  he  received 
came  by  courier,  as  there  was  no  telegraph  across  the  river. 
Weighed  down  by  anxiety  and  responsibility,  one  can  imagine 
how  pleased  he  would  have  been  to  be  in  constant  communication 
with  Sumner,  Hooker  and  Franklin,  commanders  of  the  respec- 
tive grand  divisions  of  the  army.  Telegraphy  for  tactical  pur- 
poses, although  eminently  successful  on  the  Peninsula,  had  not 
yet  become  a  matter  of  course,  owing  in  a  large  measure,  doubt- 
less, to  the  presence  of  signal  officers,  of  whom  too  much  was 
expected;  so  Burnside  was  mainly  dependent  on  his  field  glass 
and  reports  by  messengers.  The  Union  army  crimsoned  itself 
with  honor,  but  from  assault  after  assault,  so  much  of  it  as  was 
not  stricken  to  the  ground,  retired  to  prepare  for  another. 
In  storming  the  Confederate  strongholds,  the  Union  loss  was  one 
thousand,  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  killed,  and  nine  thousand, 


356  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH  DURING   THE 

one  hundred  and  one  wounded,  and  over  three  thousand  missing 
or  thirteen  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  seventy-one  in  all ; 
nearly  three  times  that  of  those  who  so  stoutly  defended  the 
works.  Two  nights  later  the  army  recrossed  safely  and  went 
into  camp. 

During  a  bombardment  of  Fredericksburg,  preceding-  the  bat- 
tle, Frank  Drummond,  who  had  recently  been  exchanged  and 
was,  with  J.  G.  Garland,  operating  at  Falmouth  Siding,  went 
down  to  the  heights,  on  which  were  over  one  hundred  and  forty 
cannon  that  had  begun  the  destruction  of  the  city  opposite.  Only 
slight  response  was  made  to  their  fire  for  the  most  part,  but  the 
first  shell  that  the  enemy  sent,  fell  so  near  Drummond  as  to  re- 
mind him  of  some  business  he  had  forgotten.  It  was  not  twi- 
light yet,  and  as  shell  after  shell  passed  him  and  he  as  regularly 
fell  to  the  ground,  an  observer  would  have  imagined  he  was  car- 
rying too  much  of  a  load  in  his  hat,  did  not  the  screaming  fiends 
in  the  air  offer  a  more  charitable  excuse.  Anyhow,  men  will  laugh 
"to  see  such  sport,"  even  if  it  isn't  nice  in  them  to  do  so,  and 
Drummond  to  this  day,  thinks  the  whole  army  was  looking 
at  him.  When  Drummond  reached  his  office,  he  heard  that 
Garland  had  gone  back  a  mile  to  Burnside's  head-quarters,  prob- 
ably on  business  also,  as  the  Siding  was  not  a  healthy  place  to 
remain  in. 

The  day  (sixteenth)  the  Union  army  went  into  camp,  Gen- 
eral Hampton  again  crossed  the  river  and  raided  to  Occo- 
quan  and  Dumfries,  cutting  the  telegraph  badly,  and  thereby 
greatly  annoying  General  Burnside,  who,  at  2:45  p.  m.,  Decem- 
ber 20,  telegraphed  General  Stahl: 

You  will  please  see  that  a  strong  guard  is  thrown  out  at  once, 
to  protect  the  telegraph  lines.  A  sufficient  force  must  be  detailed 
to  insure  its  safety,  even  to  the  whole  of  your  command  if  necessary. 

Hardly  had  Hampton  recrossed,  when  General  Stuart  with  de- 
tachments of  Hampton's  and  F.  H.  and  W.  F.  Lee's  brigades, 
started  to  pay  Dumfries  another  visit.  Truly  Dumfries  was  an 
unsafe  place  for  Federal  operators  and  Cherry  began  to  think 
there  was  a  Providence  in  the  menacing  looks  that  bade  him 
"move  on."  Operator  O.  H.  Dorrance  started  from  Alexandria 
for  Occoquan,  while  Stuart  was  en  route  for  Dumfries.     A  tele- 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  357 

gram  from  Major  Eckert  to  Colonel  Stager,  dated  December  29, 
states  the  case  as  follows : 

Rebels  cut  line  between  Dumfries  and  Stafford  before  making 
attack  on  Dumfries.  At  five  p.  m.,  cut  line  again  between  Dum- 
fries  and  Occoquan.  Dorrance  reached  a  point  near  Occoquan 
early  Sunday  morning,  and  got  in  circuit  ;  couldn't  remain  long, 
owing  to  desperate  charges  by  Seventeenth  Pentisylvania  cavalry, 
with  sabers  drawn,  going  at  full  speed  to  the  rear^  of  which  he  gave 
us  some  laughable  instances.  At  five  p.  m.,  Sunday,  Flagg  reported 
the  enemy  within  three  miles  of  Burkes. 

Having  swept  everything  in  their  way  from  Dumfries  to 
Occoquan,  a  portion  of  Stuart's  force  struck  the  Orange  &  Alexan- 
dria Railroad  near  Accotink  bridge,  and  destroyed  it.  This 
bridge  was  a  little  east  of  Burkes,  but  before  it  was  burned,  J. 
A.  Flagg,  operator  at  that  station,  while  reading  by  an  open 
window,  that  balmy  Sunday  afternoon,  saw  a  woman  running  as 
rapidly  as  possible  toward  the  office.  Flagg  rushed  to  meet  the 
kind  woman,  who,  while  gasping  for  breath,  stated  that  the 
rebels  were  in  larsre  force  at  Wolf  Run  Shoals,  a  few  miles  south 
of  Burkes.  This  information  was  immediately  telegraphed  to 
the  War  Department,  and  word  was  also  sent  to  the  conductors 
of  two  trains  which  had  proceeded  beyond  Burkes,  probably 
after  wood.  These  were  enabled  to  cross  the  Accotink  bridge 
before  the  enemy  struck  it,  and  reached  Alexandria  in  safety. 
Flagg,  after  taking  his  personal  eftects  to  his  boarding  house, 
was  returning,  when  he  met  a  Mr.  Ross,  who  had  charge  of  a 
government  train  of  twenty  wagons,  and  eighty-two  horses,  in 
the  woods.  His  negro  teamsters,  greatly  frightened  by  the  news 
which  had  reached  them,  were  fleeing  toward  a  thicket  where 
they  hoped  to  hide,  but  Flagg  hailed  them  and  placing  his  hand 
in  his  breast  pocket  as  if  to  draw  a  revolver  he  did  not  have, 
told  the  darkies  he  would  shoot  the  first  one  that  advanced  and 
that  they  must  at  once  hitch  up  and  drive  to  Fairfax  Court 
House.     This  they  did  quickly  and  saved  the  train. 

Flagg  intended  hiding  in  the  heavy  pine  woods  near  by,  but  " 
before  he  could  get  ready  to  go,  the  enemy  rushed  in,  and  two 
boys,  not  over  seventeen,  were  placed  as  a  guard  over  him. 
These,   as  might  be  expected  of  over  zealous  warrior  youths. 


358  THE  MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING  THE 

first  invested  with  authority,  used  their  revolvers  with  threaten- 
ing recklessness  until  a  Mr.  Shepard,  operator  with  General 
Stuart,  entered  and  ordered  the  youngsters  down  stairs.  He 
then  placed  Flagg  under  another  guard  instructed  to  shoot  him 
if  he  touched  the  instrument.  In  company  with  one  hundred 
and  twenty  other  prisoners,  he  marched  many  weary  and  hungry 
hours,  reaching  Culpeper  Court  House  at  nine  p.  m.,  December 
31,  stiff,  sore,  exhausted  and  faint.  One  of  the  Lees,  who  prom- 
ised one  Marshall,  with  whom  Flagg  had  boarded  at  Burkes, 
to  parole  the  latter  the  next  day,  neglected  his  agreement,  and 
January  2,  the  operator  was  in  Libby  prison.  The  next  morn- 
ing, a  Richmond  paper  described  the  beautiful  combination  tele- 
graph instrument  captured  at  Burkes.  At  the  close  of  the 
month,  Flagg  and  eighteen  hundred  other  prisoners  were  ex- 
changed. 

Operators  H.  C.  Buell,  at  Union  Mills,  W.  N.  Embree,  at 
Fairfax  Station,  and  R.  F.  Weitbrecht,  at  Fairfax  Court  House, 
were  near  enough  to  Stuart's  line  of  march  to  feel  a  justifiable 
uneasiness,  but  Stuart  rode  toward  Falls  Church,  and  swung: 
around  Fairfax  Court  House  toward  Chantilly ;  some  of  his 
troopers  came  within  a  mile  of  Centreville,  where  was  operator  A. 
H.  Bliss,  who,  the  wire  being  down,  put  out  his  lights  and  climbed 
a  great  tree,  for  the  double  purpose  of  observing  and  hiding. 
Bliss  had  no  confidence  in  the  staying  qualities  of  the  Federal 
regiment  about  the  fort  a  mile  ofi,  and  hence  took  to  the  tree. 

December  30,  Burnside,  who  had  initiated  another  offensive 
movement,  received  a  cipher  telegrahi  from  Mr.  Lincoln,  saying 
substantially,  ''I  have  good  reason  for  saying  that  you  must  not 
make  a  general  movement  without  letting  me  know  it."  Disaf- 
fection in  the  army  in  high  quarters  had  reached  the  ears  of  the 
Pi-esident,  and  caused  him  to  fear  that  Burnside  would  not  re- 
ceive that  hearty  support  so  essential  to  success.  In  a  measure, 
that  feeling  was  modified  by  personal  interviews,  and  Burnside 
began  executing  another  movement,  intending  to  cross  above 
Falmouth  at  Banks'  and  United  States  fords.  A  telegraph  line 
was  built  to  Banks'  Ford,  and  J.  H.  Emerick  opened  an  office 
there  January  20.  His  tent  was  the  clouds  that  rained  inces- 
santly, and  his  desk  was  a  caisson  that  had  been  abandoned  in 
the  mud.     The  storms  prevented  action  and  the  army  again 


CIVIL  WAR  IN  THE    UNITED  STATES.  359 

went  to  camp.  Generals  Burnside,  Sumner  and  Franklin  were 
soon  after  relieved  and  General  Joseph  E.  Hooker  appointed  to 
the  command  of  the  army. 

Thus  in  the  East,  Federal  affairs  were  unsatisfactory  in  the 
beginning  of  the  new  year.  The  last  blow  was  extremely  dis- 
couraging to  the  Union  people.  The  joy  in  the  South  was  great; 
both  sides  were  yet  painfully  concerned,  but  the  North  more 
than  ever  determined.  These  two  powerful  and  brave  armies 
were  unbroken  and  in  the  coming  chish  of  arms,  an  accident, 
the  elements,  a  mere  mischance,  might  turn  the  scale  for  or 
against,  and  so  the  people  north  and  south 

Like  souls  that  balance  joy  and  pain 
With  tears  and  smiles  from  heaven 

anxiously  waited  and  prayed. 


January  25,  1863,  General  Hooker  assumed  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  which  was  reformed  into  corps  com- 
manded respectively  as  follows  :  first.  General  Reynolds ;  sec- 
ond. General  Couch ;  third.  General  Sickles ;  fifth.  General 
Meade;  sixth.  General  Sedgwick;  eleventh.  General  Howard, 
and  the  twelfth  by  General  Slocum.  While  these  officers  were 
preparing  their  respective  commands  for  a  new  campaign,  the 
Federal  and  Confederate  riders  were  abroad,  and  when  the 
latter  were  not,  rumors  of  their  near  presence  were  rife. 

About  ten  o'clock  one  stormy,  cold  night  in  February,  it  was 
reported  at  Fairfax  Station,  where  Colonel  Percy  Wyndham's 
cavalry  and  other  troops  were  located,  that  General  Stuart  was 
coming.  A  little  south  of  the  station,  lay  Wolf  Run  Shoals, 
where  Colonel  Blunt's  command  was  posted.  A  telegraph  line 
had  been  recently  constructed  from  Union  Mills  to  the  Shoals, 
and  as  soon  as  the  report  of  Stuart's  approach  was  received, 
Wyndham  asked  Major  Eckert  to  send  an  operator  to  open  the 
Shoals  office.  Accordingly,  Richard  Power,  Jr.,  who  chanced 
to  be  at  Fairfax  assisting  Embree,  who  was  convalescing,  was 
ordered  to  proceed  at  once  with  a  cavalryman,  who  pretended 
to  know  the  route.  They  soon  lost  their  way  in  the  blinding 
snow-storm,  which  changed  to  a  drizzling  rain,  and  in  the  dark, 
groping  about  the  woods,  listening  for  sounds  of  guerrillas,  cold, 


360  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

thoroughly  wet,  their  outer  clothes  stiff  with  ice,  they-  struggled 
on  until  daylight,  when,  finding  a  path  which  led  them  to  an  ele- 
vation, they  looked  down  and  beheld  Blunt's  camp,  which,  with- 
out challenge  and  unobserved,  they  entered.  James  Glazier, 
operator  at  Union  Mills,  who  had  long  struggled  against  drowsi- 
ness, connected  the  wires,  when  it  was  ascertained  that  Stuart 
had  not  been  near. 

On  the  8th  of  March,  John  S.  Mosby,  a  daring  Confederate 
cavalryman,  then  known  only  as  a  guerrilla,  performed  a  most 
splendid  feat,  for  which  Stuart  soon  after  publicly  thanked  him. 
He,  with  but  a  handful  of  men,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
without  warning,  entered  the  Union  camp  at  Fairfax  Court 
House,  where  were  then  located  operators  R.  Power,  Jr.,  and 
Robert  Weitbrecht.  The  latter  was  on  duty,  and,  probably 
guided  by  his  lights,  Mosby,  accompanied  to  the  tent  by  five  or 
six  followers,  walked  up  to  Weitbrecht  and  presenting  a  revol- 
ver, demanded  that  the  operator  and  his  orderly  make  haste  and 
direct  him  to  the  head-quarters  of  General  Stoughton,  quietly 
and  without  daring  to  speak  above  a  whisper.  Of  course  the 
prisoners  did  as  directed;  there  was  no  alternative.  On  the  way 
the  rest  of  Mosby's  men  joined  him.  They  had  been  stealthily 
selecting  the  best  horses.  Stoughton  was  found  in  bed,  as  were 
also  some  of  his  staff  officers.  As  Mosby's  men  were  moving 
off  with  captives  and  captures,  a  Colonel  Johnston,  who  was 
awakened  by  the  unavoidable  noise,  went  out  on  the  front  porch 
of  the  house  he  slept  in,  and  called  out,  "  Halt!  The  horses  need 
rest.  I  will  not  allow  them  to  be  taken  out.  What  the  devil  is 
the  matter?  "  etc.  Receiving  no  reply,  he  again  spoke  out,  "7 
am  commander  of  this  post  and  this  must  he  stopped.^''  This  was 
just  what  Mosby  wanted  to  know.  Johnston's  retreat  was 
speedily  cut  off.  It  is  said,  however,  that  owing  to  the  darkness 
he  lied  to  a  neighboring  barn  en  deshabille^  and  crawling  under, 
eluded  the  pursuers,  who  took  to  the  rebel  lines  about  twenty 
prisoners  and  seventy  horses. 

A  few  weeks  later,  Weitbrecht  was  exchanged  as  a  Federal 
captain,  he  having  reported  himself  such  at  Libby,  to  facilitate 
his  return.  His  appearance  was  sad,  laughable  and  mussed. 
The  rebels  had  exchanged  his  clothes  also.  It  was  supposed  at 
the  time  at  Centreville  that  Mosby  entered  the  Union  lines  bo- 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE  UNITED   STATES.  361 

tween  that  place  and  Chantilly,  passed  just  outside  the  Centre- 
ville  pickets,  struck  the  Warrenton  road  nearly  two  miles  there- 
from ;  moved  thence  by  pike  to  within  a  mile  of  Fairfax  Court 
House,  and  that  he  returned  by  the  same  route.  Only  four  days 
before  Mosby's  venture,  A.  H.  Bliss,  the  Centreville  operator, 
warned  General  Heintzelman  that  the  cavalry  pickets  of  Colonel 
Wyndham  were,  about  the  15th  of  February,  withdrawn  from 
the  front  and  right  of  the  Centreville  command,  and  that  since 
then  but  few  patrols  had  been  over  the  Chantilly  road,  leaving 
about  three  miles  unguarded.  This  was  referred  to  Colonel  R. 
Butler  Pierce,  commanding  the  cavalry  south  of  Potomac, 
within  the  Department  of  Washington,  but  seems  not  to  have 
been  remedied.  Bliss  was  cavalierly  informed  by  the  Colonel 
that  in  future  like  reports  should  be  made  to  him,  but  Secre- 
tary Stanton  having  heard  ot  the  matter,  caused  the  following 
to  be  telegraphed  to  Bliss: 

War  Department. 
To  A.  H.  Bliss: 

The  Secretary  of  War  directs  me  to  thank  you  for  your  efiForts, 
and  in  future  authorizes  you  to  report  direct  to  him. 

Thos.  T.  Eckert, 

Major  and  A.  D,  C, 

Since  Mosby's  operations  about  Fairfax  Court  House,  have 
just  been  considered,  it  may  be  well  for  the  present  to  avoid 
strict  chronological  order  and  call  attention  to  the  interesting 
fact  that  operator  W.  N.  Embree,  while  working  there,  became 
Acquainted  with  a  number  of  very  pretty  young  ladies;  that  not- 
withstanding one  in  particular  was  bitterly  "Secesh,"  a  mutual 
regard  sprang  up,  destined  to  have  a  romantic  end.  It  was 
shortly  after  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  an  account  of  which 
will  soon  appear,  that  Embree  in  his  best,  set  out  for  the  country 
to  renew  his  acquaintance  with  the  aforesaid  bonnie  lassie,  and 
it  was  while  he  was  basking  in  her  smiles,  that  three  of  Mosby's 
men  entered  her  home  and  took  the  bonnie  laddie  under  their 
special  charge.  In  due  time,  after  a  tempestuous  land  voyage, 
Embree  was  in  Libby  prison,  and  later,  on  Belle  Isle.  Federal 
cavalry  was  sent  in  search  of  him  as  soon  as  he  was  missed,  but 
they  found  only  a  linen  coat,  which  w^as  believed  to  be  his ; 
wherefore  the  young  man  was  supposed  to  have  been  waylaid 


362  THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

and  killed.  His  father,  who  was  in  the  employ  of  one  of  the  de- 
partments at  Alexandria,  made  unavailing  efforts  to  obtain  tid- 
ings of  his  son.  Three  and  a  third  months  later,  Embree  was 
exchanged.  From  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  pounds  he  was  re- 
duced to  ninety -four.  In  the  streets  of  Alexandria,  he  met  his 
father  and  passed  him  twice  without  being  recognized,  then  he 
spoke,  and  that  glad  father  rejoiced  that  he  "that  was  dead  is 
alive  again." 


In  April,  Suffolk,  Va. ,  was  threatened  by  twenty-eight  thous- 
and men  under  Longstreet,  who  hoped  to  recover  the  whole  coun- 
try south  of  the  James  River,  extending  to  Albemarle  Sound, 
N.  C,  including  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth.  General  Peck  com- 
manded fourteen  thousand  troops  at  Suffolk.  From  April  11, 
to  May  2,  that  city  was  besieged.  Railroad  trains  bringing  troops 
and  supplies  were  very  numerous,  giving  operators  but  little 
rest.  At  one  period,  C.  A.  Homan,  operator  at  the  Suffolk  sta- 
tion, without  relief,  ran  trains  by  telegraph  for  four  days  and 
three  nights.  Wilbur  F.  Holloway  was  operator  at  Peck's  head- 
quarters, the  O'Brien  brothers,  at  Norfolk,  C.  K.  Hambright,  at 
Newport  News,  and  J.  R.  Gilmore  and  George  D.  Sheldon,  at 
Fort  Monroe.  Longstreet  attempted  to  carry  the  defenses  by 
assault,  but  the  telegraph  brought  gunboats  to  Peck's  aid  and 
the  enemy  was  repulsed  with  considerable  loss,  when  Long- 
street's  force  proper,  rejoined  Lee*s  army. 


About  two  weeks  before  making  a  general  advance.  General 
Hooker,  solicitous  about  his  telegraphic  communications  with 
Washington,  telegraphed  Halleck  at  the  capital,  advising  that 
a  regiment  of  cavalry  be  sent  from  Washington  to  patrol  and 
guard  the  line  via  Occoquan  and  Dumfries.  General  Halleck 
replied  that  it  was  Hooker's  duty  to  attend  to  that,  and  ordered 
him  to  do  so,  whereupon,  the  latter,  by  telegraph  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  War,  requested  him  to  lay  both  messages  before  the 
President,  and  in  three  hours  Halleck  telegraphed  Hooker  that 
a  regiment  had  been  sent. 

General  Hooker  succeeded  admirably  m  preparing  his  army 
for  another  conflict.  It  numbered  fully  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  available  troops;  twice  that  which  his  adversary  had  in 


CIVIL  WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  363 

hand.  After  despatching  General  Stoneman  with  his  grand  cav- 
alry force  to  operate  against  Lee's  communications,  Hooker  be- 
gan his  movement  (April  27),  aiming  to  cross  the  river  about 
three  miles  below  Fredericksburg,  with  Sedgwick's  and  Rey- 
nold's corps,  which  were  to  demonstrate  as  if  they  led  the  main 
attack,  while  the  Twelfth,  Eleventh,  Fifth  and  a  portion  of  the 
Second  (the  rest  under  General  Gibbons  being  left  about  Fal- 
mouth) crossed  above  at  Kelly's  and  United  States  fords,  to  be 
followed  immediately  by  the  First  if  it  could  be  spared  from  be- 
low, where  it  was  ordered  in  reserve  for  either  the  Third  or 
Sixth. 

The  Signal  Corps  put  up  a  line  from  Banks'  to  United  States 
Ford,  about  ten  miles,  expecting  to  work  it  with  Beardslee's 
magneto  instruments,  but  soon  after  the  army  movement  began. 
General  Hooker  became  dissatisfied  with  its  slow  work,  and 
ordered  General  Couch,  who  was  at  the  United  States  Ford  with 
a  part  of  his  corps,  to  "  establish  rapid  communications  with  the 
telegraph  at  Banks'  Ford,  and  with  Meade  and  Slocum,  as  the 
telegraph  from  Banks'  to  United  States  Ford  works  so  slow.'^ 
Meade  and  Slocum  were  moving  on  Chancellorsville  from  Kel- 
ly's Ford.  The  United  States  military  telegraphers  at  once  took 
possession  of  the  Signal  Corps  line  and  worked  it  with  Morse  in- 
struments. But  the  signal  officers  built  and  operated  the  only 
telegraph  connecting  the  United  States  Ford  with  the  army  about 
Chancellorsville,  and  as  a  consequence,  business  being  very  great, 
most  of  the  messages  were  sent  to  General  Hooker  by  orderlies. 
Caldwell  or  Jacques  should  have  been  brought  over  from  the  old 
head-quarters  office  to  work  the  wire  at  the  front  and  the  Uni- 
ted States  Ford  office  made  an  intermediate  instead  of  a  repeat- 
ing office,  but  the  signal  folks  had  the  field  and  thought  they 
could  work  it. 

As  soon  as  the  pontoon  was  laid  (April  30),  the  wire  was  ex- 
tended across  the  river,  and  an  office  opened  in  a  house  near  the 
ford.  J.  H.  Emerick  and  James  Murray,  operators,  were  loca- 
ted here.  At  Banks'  Ford,  about  ten  miles  down  and  across  the 
river,  were  two  more  offices,  one  at  the  ford,  where  W.  K.  De 
Witt  was  located,  and  another  a  little  back  on  the  main  line, 
which  was  opened  by  John  B.  Pierce,  who  was  relieved  later  by 
Samuel  H.  Edwards.     A  Beardslee  telegraph  was  also  operated 


364  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

from  this  ford  to  head-quarters  in  the  rear,  as  soon  as  General 
Sedgwick  located  there,  after  returning  from  his  operations  on 
the  south  side.  General  Hooker  ordered  an  entire  regiment  to 
guard  the  main  line  along  the  river.  The  regiment  was  spread 
out  from  the  United  States  Ford  to  Falmouth,  and  every  soldier 
of  it,  instructed  to  shoot  any  one  caught  tampering  with  the 
wire.  From  a  point  near  Falmouth,  messages  for  Sedgwick  and 
Reynolds  across  below,  were  to  be  carried  by  courier.  At  least 
all  obtainable  information  tends  to  induce  that  belief.  Why  a 
line  was  not  erected  upon  the  heels  of  Sedgwick's  advance  and 
he  (until  cut  off),  kept  in  constant  telegraphic  communication 
with  the  Commanding  General  at  Chancellors ville,  whither  the 
main  army  rapidly  moved,  is  an  enigma.  General  Hooker  soon 
felt  a  natural  embarrassment  consequent  upon  a  lack  of  tele- 
graphic facilities,  for  which  it  would  seem,  he  was  responsible, 
for  certainly  had  lines  been  ordered.  Major  Eckert  would 
have  had  no  difficulty  in  constructing  them.  Perhaps  too 
much  reliance  was  placed  on  the  signal  service,  concerning 
which,  its  chief  subsequently  reported,  ^'In  the  movements 
at  Chancellorsville,  crippled  as  the  corps  was  by  the  failure 
(through  no  fault  of  its  members)  of  some  of  the  appara- 
tus, they  rendered  such  service  as  that  may  be,  which  kept  up 
the  communication  with  General  Sedgwick's  Sixth  Army  Corps 
at  that  time  utterly  cut  off  from  the  main  body  of  the  army  and 
from  head-quarters,  over  the  heads  of  the  rebel  forces. " 

This  is  the  only  evidence  within  reach  that  any  signal  officers 
attended  Sedgwick,  whose  operations  deceived  Lee,  and  conse- 
quently Hooker  easily  reached  Chancellorsville.  But  from  that 
time,  he  appears  to  have  invited  attack,  instead  of  continuing  a 
vigorous  offensive.  May  1,  severe  but  not  general  fighting 
occurred,  resulting  in  considerable  loss  to  both  sides,  and  as  the 
enemy  seemed  really  disposed  to  fight.  General  Hooker  had 
recourse  to  the  telegraph.  He  had  previously  directed  his  chief 
of  staff  to  remain  at  Falmouth,  ''  as  from  that  point,"  said  Hook- 
er, "it  being  central  and  the  wires  meeting  there,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  have  some  one,  in  whose  capacity  and  judgment  I  had 
confidence."  To  him  he  telegraphed  as  follows  :  "Direct  *  * 
Reynolds'  corps  to  march  at  once  with  pack  train,  to  report  at 
head-quarters."     At  about  six   o'clock,   p.  M.,   of  the   second, 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  365 

Stonewall  Jackson  surprised  and  utterly  routed  the  Eleventh 
Corps,  posted  on  the  right  flank  of  the  Union  army,  and  drove 
it  upon  the  forces  about  Chancellorsville,  with  great  loss  in  men 
and  arms.  It  did  worse,  for  its  discouraging  influence  was  not 
warranted  by  the  remaining  relative  strength  of  the  contending 
forces.  The  assault  was  checked,  and  soon  after  General  Jack- 
son reconnoitered  with  a  vieW  of  making  another,  but  returning 
with  his  stafi",  they  were  mistaken  for  Federal  cavalry,  and  the 
General  so  wounded  that  he  died  a  few  days  later. 

The  telegraph  building  at  the  United  States  Ford  was  largely 
devoted  to  hospital  purposes.  Even  the  yard  and  out -buildings 
were  filled  with  the  wounded.  The  office  itself  was  also  invaded, 
and  the  operators,  when  possible,  eased  the  sufierers.  At  night 
the  ground  wire  was  broken,  and  Emerick,  in  feeling  around  in 
the  dark  for  the  trouble,  found  the  dead  body  of  a  poor  soldier 
lying  upon  it. 

In  consequence  of  Jackson's  assault,  and  a  conviction  that  Sedg- 
wick's twenty-two  thousand  troops  were  opposed  by  only  about 
eight  thousand.  General  Hooker,  thinking  Sedgwick  had  recrossed, 
at  nine,  p.  m.,  of  the  second,  caused  him  to  be  telegraphed  to 
cross  at  Fredericksburg,  ''on  receipt  of  this  order,  and  at  once 
take  up  your  line  of  march  on  Chancellorsville  road,  until  you 
connect  with  "  the  main  army,  and  "attack  and  destroy  any  force 
you  may  fall  in  with  on  the  road  ;"  "  be  in  the  vicinity  "  of  Hooker 
at  daylight.  "  You  will  probably  fall  upon  the  rear  of  the  forces 
commanded  by  General  Lee,  and  between  you  and  the  Major 
General  commanding,  he  expects  to  use  him  up." 

That  despatch,  which  Sedgwick  says  was  dated  10: 10,  p.  m., 
transmitted  over  twenty-five  miles  of  wire  and  carried  three  more 
by  courier,  was  received  at  eleven,  and  acknowledged  at  once  in 
a  telegram,  in  which  Sedgwick  said  :  "  The  enemy  will  be  vigor- 
ously attacked  wherever  overtaken."  At  this  time  Sedgwick's 
corps  was  fourteen  miles  from  Hooker's  main  army,  and  his  ad- 
vance so  greatly  retarded  that  he  did  not  scale  Marye's  Heights, 
in  the  rear  of  Fredericksburg,  until  eleven,  a.  m.,  of  the  third, 
and,  from  that  time  till  night,  although  the  corps  continued  to 
advance,  it  was  under  constant  fire,  and  succeeded  only  in  mak- 
ing half  the  distance  between  Chancellorsville  and  Fredericks- 
burg. 


S6Q  THE    MILITARY   TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

About  Chancellorsville  the  third  opened  with  a  brilliant  charge 
by  the  left  wing  of  Lee's  army,  under  Stnart,  driving,  after  a  stub- 
born fight,  the  Federal  right  to  Fairview,  while  Lee  engaged  An- 
derson's and  McLaw's  divisions  with  Slocum's  and  Meade's  troops. 
When  the  battle  was  developing  into  large  proportions,  and  fresh 
Federal  troops  were  sorely  needed  on  the  right.  Hooker  w^s  lean- 
ing against  a  pillar  of  the  Chancellor  House.  At  this  important 
moment,  a  cannon  ball  struck  the  pillar  and  utterly  incapacitated 
the  Chief  for  duty  for  some  time.  Lideed,  it  is  doubtful  if  he 
entirely  recovered  south  of  the  Rappahannock. 

About  ten,  a.  m.,  the  Union  troops  were  driven  from  their 
Chancellorsville  line,  and  forced  to  form  anew  with  fresh  troops 
farther  north.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Lee  found  it  necessary 
to  look  to  Sedgwick,  and,  intent  on  crushing  him,  he  spent  most 
of  the  remaining  day  enveloping  three  sides  of  Sedgwick's  force, 
leaving  him  only  Banks'  Ford  to  fall  back  on,  and  near  which  he 
was  toward  evening  pushed  by  an  overwhelming  force.  While 
Sedgwick  was  thus  engaged,  Hooker  telegraphed  the  President, 
as  follows : 

Head-quarters  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 

Near  Chancellorsville,  1 :  25  p.m.,  May  3, 1863. 
By  orderly  to  United  States  Ford,  4^hence  by  telegraph,  3:  30,  p.m. 

To  His  Excellency,  A.  Lincoln, 

President  of  the  United  States  : 
We  have  had  a  desperate  fight,  yesterday  and  to-day,  which  has 
resulted  in  no  success  to  us,  having  lost  a  position  of  two  lines 
which  had  been  selected  for  our  defense.  It  is  now  1:  30,  and  there 
is  still  some  firing  of  artillery.  We  may  have  another  turn  at  it 
this  P.M.  T  do  not  despair  of  success.  If  Sedgwick  could  have 
gotten  up,  there  could  have  been  but  one  result.  As  it  is  impossible 
for  me  to  know  the  exact  position  of  Sedgwick,  as  regards  his  abil- 
ity to  advance  and  take  part  in  the  engagement,  I  can  not  tell  where 
it  will  end.  We  will  endeavor  to  do  our  best.  My  troops  are  in 
good  spirits.  We  have  fought  desperately  to-day.  No  general  ever 
commanded  a  more  devoted  army.     (Signed)    Joseph  Hooker, 

Major  General  Comdg 

That  night,  operator  Emerick,  at  United  States  Ford,  wrote 
in  his  diary : 


CIVIL   WAR  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  367 

We  are  defeated.  Poor  General  Hooker  and  staff,  holding  con- 
sultation with  general  officers,  in  our  office  this  evening.  The  Gen- 
eral is  extremely  nervous,  though  this  may  be  entirely  attributable 
to  a  pillar,  against  which  he  was  leaning  to-day,  having  been  shat- 
tered by  a  shot,  giving  him  a  terrible  shock.  For  this,  or  some 
other  reason,  his  mental  faculties  may  almost  be  said  to  be  tempo- 
rarily impaired. 

On  the  fourth,  Sedgwick  was  two  miles  from  Banks'  Ford. 
Hooker  telegraphed  him  to  look  well  to  the  safety  of  his  corps, 
and  keep  up  communication  with  General  Benham,  at  Banks' 
Ford,  and  advising  him  to  fall  back  on  the  ford  rather  than  Fred- 
ericksburg ;  and  again,  not  to  cross,  unless  compelled  to  ;  yet 
again,  ' '  Please  let  the  Commanding  General  have  your  opinion 
in  regard  to  "  your  holding  a  position  on  the  south  side,  securely, 
until  to-morrow,  "  by  telegram  from  Banks'  Ford,  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible." Doubtless,  it  was  in  reply  to  this,  that,  within  forty-five 
minutes,  i.  e.^  11:45,  a.  m.,  Sedgwick  telegraphed  from  Banks' 
Ford : 

My  army  is  hemmed  in  upon  the  slope  covered  by  the  guns  from 
the  north  side  of  Banks'  Ford.  If  I  had  only  this  army  to  care  for, 
I  would  withdraw  it  to-night.  Do  your  operations  require  that  I 
should  jeopard  by  retaining  it  here.  An  immediate  answer  is  in- 
dispensable. 

General  Hooker  thereupon  directed  Sedgwick  to  cross.  A 
few  minutes  later,  Hooker  received  another  telegram  from  Sedg- 
w^ick,  saying  he  could  hold  his  position.  Hooker  told  him  to  do 
so,  and  the  next  he  received  was  dated  five,  a.m.,  fifth,  stating 
that  Sedgwick  was  across.  This  confusion  of  purposes.  General 
Hooker  explains  as  follows  : 

The  messenger  with  the  first  despatch  had  to  ride  perhaps  three 
miles  to  reach  the  place  of  telegraphing,  and  after  he  was  sent  off 
General  Sedgwick  sent  another  messenger  immediately,  with  the 
despatch  that  he  could  hold  the  position,  expecting  that  he  would 
be  able  to  overtake  the  first  messenger  and  intercept  the  message 
that  he  had.  But  instead  of  that,  the  first  messenger  rode  the  fast- 
est, and  the  message  he  bore  reached  me  perhaps  ten  minutes  be- 
fore the  second.  Both  were  answered  immediately  on  their  receipt, 
but  in  some  way  the  last  was  delayed  in  reaching  General  Sedgwick. 


368  THE   MILITARY  TELEGRAPH   DURING   THE 

As  soon  as  Hooker  received  Sedgwick's  despatch  announcing 
that  the  Sixth  Corps  was  on  the  north  bank,  and  the  bridges- 
swung  and  in  process  of  being  taken  up,  he  determined  to  move 
his  whole  army  back  to  camp  opposite  Fredericksburg.  This 
was  done  the  night  of  the  fifth,  but  operators  Murray  and  Eme- 
rick  narrowly  escaped  capture  as  they  crossed  with  the  last  of 
the  rear  guard.  Operator  Edwards,  near  Banks'  Ford,  did  not 
fare  so  well.  After  Sedgwick  had  crossed  or  while  he  was  cross- 
ing, a  ten-pound  ball  passed  over,  but  so  near,  his  head  as  to 
produce  insensibility.  When  he  revived,  he  found  he  had  bitten 
his  tongue  in  the  center,  and  had  no  knowledge  of  the  cause  of 
his  hurt  or  the  numbness  which  continued  for  two  days.  Banks^ 
Ford  office  was  closed  on  the  eighth. 

How  different  the  result  of  this  campaign  might  have  been 
if  Hooker  had  been  in  telegraphic  communication  with  his  com- 
manders, especially  Sedgwick,  we  leave  to  the  speculative.  The 
losses  sustained  by  Sedgwick's  corps  were  4,601  and  by  the  rest 
of  the  army,  12,596;  of  the  total  loss,  17,197,  5,000  were  pris- 
oners. The  Confederates  lost  12,227,  of  whom  about  2,000  were 
captured. 

The  details  of  this  fresh  horror,  like  those  of  former 
misfortunes,  were  soon  known  throughout  the  land.  It  is  de- 
voutly to  be  wished  that  when  the  next  war  afflicts  us,  one  na- 
tion may  not  sufier  all  the  wounds,  one  people  drink  to  the  dregs 
all  the  miseries;  but  above  all  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  men  will 
foresee  the  acres  of  dead,  forebear  the  tremulous  groans  of  the 
wounded  myriads,  and  forecast  the  measureless  misery  incident 
to  battle,  before  declaring  another  war.  The  declaration  of  war 
which  may  be  avoided  is  the  greatest  of  human  crimes. 

April  21,  with  a  view  of  supplying  Stoneman's  cavalry,  ex- 
pected soon  at  Warrenton,  a  construction  train  was  started  to 
reopen  the  Orange  &  Alexandria  road.  Operators  H.  W.  Cowan 
and  J.  H.  Emerick  accompanied  it.  It  seems  that  while  the 
gi'eat  armies  were  contending  for  mastery  at  Chancellorsville, 
Stoneman,  with  the  two  divisions  of  Union  cavalry,  was  operat- 
ing on  Lee's  communications.  By  special  request  of  Stoneman, 
operator  J.  L.  Cherry  was  selected  to  accompany  him.  At  three 
A.  M.  of  May  2,  Stoneman  arrived  in  sight  of  Louisa  Court 
House,  Virginia,  a  station  on  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railroad. 


CIVIL   WAR   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES.  369 

Cherry  hurried  to  the  depot,  hoping  to  find  circuit  from  Rich- 
mond. The  operator,  Smith,  had  barely  escaped  on  the  last 
train  south,  taking  his  register  and  relay,  but  left  his  key,  cut- 
out, and  an  immense  lightning  arrester.  Cherry  connected  his 
pocket  instrument  and  listened  to  Richmond  despatches  of  no 
special  importance  for  an  hour,  when  his  office  was  cut  off  by 
some  other  nearer  Richmond.  For  a  week  the  cavalry  operated 
within  the  enemy's  lines  nearly  to  Richmond,  but  accomplished 
much  less  than  was  expected.  Lee's  telegraphs  were  cut  in  five 
places  and  four  telegraph  stations  were  captured. 


370  THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH. 

APPENDIX. 

CIPHER  NUMBER  NINE  COMPLETE. 

A.  M.  TIME 

Ann  1.30,  Agnes  2.30,  iVnna  3.30,  Amelia  4.30,  Alice  5.30, 
Betsy  6.30,  Barney  7.30,  Barbara  8.30,  Cora  9.30,  Clara  10.30,  Cath- 
erine 11.30,  Clotilda  1,  Delia  2,  Deborah  3,  Dorothy  4,  Emma  5, 
Eugenia  6,  Emily  7,  Elizabeth  8,  Fanny  9,  Florence  10,  Frances  11, 
Gertrude  12. 
p.  M. 

Harriet  1,  Hannah  2,  Helen  3,  Henrietta  4,  Imogen  5,  Jennie 
6,  Julia  7.  Katy  8,  Lucy  9,  Laura  10,  Libby  11  Mary  12,  Martiia 
1:30,  Minnie  2:30,  Nancy  3:30,  Nelly  4:30,  Rosalie  5:30,  Rosetta 
6:30,  Rebecca  7:30,  Reliance  8:30,  Sarah  9:30,  Susan  10:30,  Topsy 
11:30,  Viola  12:30. 

MESSAGE    OR    DIVISION     OF     THREE    LINES — COMMENCEMENT     WORDS  : 


^■•■"y'    /      Five 

^"f"'  t  columns. 
Action, 


Astor,        )        ^. 

Advance,  >•      i 
\   ^-11  \  columns. 

Artillery,  ) 


Anderson,  )      -r-y 
.     ,      ,     ' f      Four 

Ambush,     >•      , 
.  '     I  columns. 

Agree,        ) 


Six  Column  Route  :  Up  the  fourth  cohimn,  down  the  third, 
up  the  second,  down  the  first,  up  the  fifth,  down  the  sixth. 

Four  Column  Route  :  Down  the  first,  down  the  fourth,  down 
the  second,  up  the  third. 

Five  Column  Route  :  Up  the  second,  up  the  third,  up  the 
fourth,  down  the  first,  down  the  fifth. 

MESSAGE     OR     DIVISION    OF    FOUR  LINES — COMMENCEMENT    WORDS  I 


Battle,    )        ^. 
Boston,  >       T 
Blair.      \  «°'"'""^' 


Banks,     )  r^ 

Board,     V  , 

ly  4..          \  columns. 

J3attery,  ) 


Brio;ade,  /       t^. 
.^    »    ,   '  f       Five 
Beverlv,  V       , 

Bates/  ^  ^°^^"^"^- 


Six  Column  Route  :  Up  the  fifth  column,  down  the  fourth, 
up  the  sixth,  down  the  third,  up  the  second,  down  the  first. 

Four  Column  Route  :  Up  the  second,  down  the  first,  up  the 
third,  down  the  fourth. 

Five  Column  Route  :  Up  the  third,  up  the  fifth,  up  the  first, 
up  the  fourth,  up  the  second. 


APPENDIX. 


371 


Four 
columns. 


Congress, 

Colburn, 

Clnlds, 


Five 
columns. 


Calhoun, 

Church, 

Cobb, 


Six 
columns. 


MESSAGE    OR    DIVISION  OF  FIVE  LINES COMMENCEMENT  WORDS 

Cairo, 

Curtin, 

Cavalry, 

Six  Column  Route  :  Up  the  sixth  column,  down  the  fifth, 
up  the  fourth,  down  the  third,  up  the  second,  down  the  first. 

Four  Cokimn  Route  :  Down  the  fourth,  down  the  second, 
down  the  first,  down  the  third. 

Five  Column  Route  :  Down  the  fifth,  up  the  first,  down  the 
fourth,  up  the  third,  up  the  second. 


MESSAGE  OR  DIVISION  OF  TEN  LINES COMMENCEMENT     WORDS 


Driver, 

Dupont, 

Dunn, 


Four 
columns. 


Enemy, 

Enlist, 

Engage, 


Six 
columns. 


Forward, 

Foote, 

Forts, 


Five 
columns. 


Six  Column  Route  :  Down  the  third,  up  the  fourth,  down  the 
second,  up  the  fifth,  down  the  first,  up  the  sixth. 

Four  Column  Route  :  Down  the  third,  up  the  second,  up  the 
fourth,  down  the  first. 

Five  Column  Route  :  Up  the  third,  down  the  second,  down 
the  fourth,  up  the  first,  down  the  fifth. 

MESSAGE    OR  DIVISION  OF    SEVEN    LINES COMMENCEMENT  WORDS  '. 


Grayson, 

Giles, 

Grafton, 


Six 
columns. 


Guard, 
Henry, 
Harbor. 


Five 
columns. 


Kelly, 

Lucky, 

Mobile, 


Four 
columns. 


Six  Column  Route  :  Down  the  fourth,  up  the  third,  down  the 
fifth,  up  the  second,  down  the  first,  up  the  sixth. 

Four  Column  Route :  Down  the  second,  up  the  first,  down 
the  third,  up  the  fourth. 

Five  Column  Route  :  Up  the  first,  down  the  second,  up  the 
fifth,  down  the  fourth,  up  the  third. 

MESSAGE  OR  DIVISION  OF  EIGHT  LINES COMMENCEMENT  WORDS  I 

Regular, 

Rosecrans, 

Run, 

Six  Column  Route :  Up  the  sixth,  down  the  first,  up  the 
fifth,  down  the  fourth,  up  the  second,  down  the  third. 

Four  Column  Route  :  Up  the  fourth,  down  the  second,  up 
the  first,  down  the  third. 


Morton, 
Memphis, 

Navy, 


Six 
columns. 


Five 
columns. 


Four 
columns. 


372 


THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH. 


Five  Column  Route  :  Up  the  fourth,  down  the  third,  up  the 
fifth,  down  the  second,  up  the  first. 

MESSAGE  OR  DIVISION  OF  NIXE    LINES COMMENCEMENT  WORDS  : 


Skirmish,.      p^^^ 

iSherman,  V      , 

r.       ,        'V  columns. 

feumter, 


Todd, 

Theater, 

Thomas, 


Five 
columns. 


Volunteers,  )        c,. 
Wise,  i      ,^'^ 

War.  f  column 


Six  Column  Route  :  Up  the  third  column,  down  the  second, 
up  the  fourth,  down  the  fifth,  up  the  first,  down  the  sixth. 

Four  Column  Route  :  Up  the  fourth,  up  the  second,  up  the 
third,  up  the  first. 

Five  Column  Route  :  Down  the  first,  up  the  third,  down  the 
second,  up  the  fifth,  down  the  fourth. 


MESSAGE  OR  DIVISION  OF  SIX  LINES COMMENCEMENT  WORDS 


Yates, 

Lincoln, 

Chase, 


Five 
columns. 


Stanton, 

McClellan, 

McDowell, 


Six 
columns. 


Halleck, 

Buell, 

Sibley, 


Seven 
columns. 


Seven  Column  Route  :  Up  the  fourth  column,  down  the  third, 
up  the  fifth,  down  the  second,  up  the  first,  down  the  sixth,  up 
the  seventh. 

FIVE    COLUMN    ROUTE. 


X 

15 
14 
13 
12 
10 
11 

X 


X 

25 
24 
23 
9 
22 
21 


26 

27 
8 
28 
29 
30 

X 


16 

7 

17 
18 
19 
20 


Six  Column  Route  is  shown  on  page  51. 

ARBITRARIES. 

Adam.        President  of  U.  S.  Asia. 

Abel.  Secretary  of  State.  Austria. 

Aaron.        Secretary  of  War.  Arabia. 

Amos.         Secretary  of  Treasury.  Africa. 

Anthon.      Secretary  of  Navy.  America. 

Acton.        Secretary  of  Interior.  Alba. 

Abner.        Postmaster  General.  Alpha. 

Alden.        Attorney  General.  Andover. 

Alvord.       Adjutant  General.  Antwerp. 
Abbot.        Quartermaster  General.       Aragon. 


APPENDIX. 

373 

Adrian. 

John  G.  Nicolay. 

Alloy. 

Appian.   George  Harringl 

.on.  Animal. 

Apollo. 

Fred.  W.  Seward 

Altar. 

Atlas.       G.  V 

Fox. 

Annal. 

Alps. 

Peter  H.  Watson 

Amber. 

Alamo.     J.  Dahlgren. 

Armada. 

Andes. 

John  G.  Tucker. 

Anchor. 

Akron.     H.  A 

Wise. 

Anvil. 

Arctic. 

C.  0.  Wolcott. 

Angel. 
MAJOR   ( 

Adair.      E.  D 

GENERALS. 

Townsend 

Apple. 

Archery. 

Winfield  Scott. 

Ark. 

Bergen.     0.  M 

Mitchell. 

Bombay. 

Asp. 

Geo.  B.  McClellan.  A  xis. 

Botany.     Samuel  K.  Curtiss.   Bourbon. 

Alkali. 

John  C.  Fremont 

.  Attica. 

Belgium.  Franz 

Sigel. 

Bermuda 

Applause.H.  W.  Hallock. 

Abortion. 

Berkshire.E.  V.  Sumner. 

Belgrade. 

Adorn. 

John  A.  Dix. 

Agate. 

Bologna.    S.  P. 

Heintzelman.   Bolivia. 

Alias. 

N.  P.  Banks. 

Amen. 

Bruno.       Fitz  John  Porter 

.      Brutus. 

Abbey. 

B.  F.  Butler. 

Audit. 

Byron.       Wm. 

B.  Franklin.     Bunyan. 

Babel. 

John  E.  Wool. 

Baden. 

Burton.     A.  E. 

Burnside. 

Buxton. 

Baltic. 

David  Hunter. 

Berlin. 

Barnard.   E.  D. 

Keyes. 

Balfour. 

Bremen. 

Irvin  McDowell. 

Brussels. 

Beach.       Lewis 

Wallace. 

Burton. 

Bangor. 

U.  S.  Grant. 

Bengal. 

Bender.     Jno.A.McClernand.  Belcher. 

Bagdad. 

D.  C.  Buell. 

Bethel. 

Benjamin.W.  S. 

Rosecrans. 

Bennet. 

Bedford. 

John  Pope. 

Biscay. 

Borgia.      Joseph  Hooker. 

Berry. 

NAVAL  AND  OTHER   OFFICERS. 

STATES. 

Bethune. 

Faragut. 

Blanchan 

1. 

Camden. 

Me. 

Cadmus, 

Bigelow. 

Goldsborough. 

Bolton. 

Clarence. 

N.H. 

Claudius. 

Bonner. 

Wilkes. 

Bishop. 

Coburg. 

Vt. 

Cognac. 

Baboon. 

Foote. 

Badger. 

Columbia 

Mass. 

California. 

Banjo. 

Dupont. 

Barber. 

Chester. 

Ct. 

Carroll. 

Bard. 

Rowan. 

Baron. 

Clifton. 

R.  I. 

Carthage. 

iBallad. 

Porter. 

Balmoral 

Cuba. 

N.Y. 

Champlain 

Banditti. 

Davis. 

Baptism. 

Cheshire. 

Pa. 

Clyde. 

Bible. 

Rogers. 

Basement 

China. 

Del. 

Catawba. 

Bassoon. 

Schofield. 

Beadle. 

Camargo. 

Md. 

Census. 

Beacon. 

Hurlbut. 

Bear. 

Century. 

Va. 

Cedar. 

Beauty. 

Jno.  J.  Parke. 

Beaver. 

Castor. 

0. 

Cologne. 

Bigamy. 

Herron. 

Bigot. 

Carbon. 

Mich. 

Carpet. 

Bladder. 

Blunt. 

Bleaching 

r 
>• 

Cancer. 

Ind. 

Camel. 

Black. 

Sherman. 

Blubber. 

Canary. 

HI. 

Camphor. 

Bogus. 

Washburn. 

Booby. 

Calendar 

Wis. 

Cabbage. 

Brandy. 

McPherson. 

Bravo. 

Charity. 

la. 

Cherry. 

Bridle. 

Ellett. 

Brimston 

5. 

Chicken. 

Minn. 

Children. 

Brocade. 

Prentiss. 

Bromley. 

Chorus. 

Mo. 

Clam. 

Budget. 

McArthur. 

Buffet. 

Climax. 

Ky. 

Cider. 

Burglar. 

Oglesby. 

Buggy. 

Churn. 

Tenn. 

Chapel. 

Bargain. 

Lauman. 

Basket. 

College. 

Ks. 

Color. 

Barth. 

Kimball. 

Behead. 

Comet. 

Cal. 

Cupid. 

Bellows. 

C.  A.  Dana. 

Belly. 

Costume. 

Ore. 

Comb. 

Berth. 

Roanoke. 

Biped. 

Corunna. 

N.J. 

Cherub. 

Blossom. 

Monitor. 

Bracket. 

Falcon. 

Flora. 

Farmer. 

Ga. 
Ala. 
La. 

Finland. 
Fortune. 
Famish. 

374 


THE   MILITARY   TELEGRAPH. 


GOVERNORS. 


David. 

I.  Washburn,  Me. 

Daniel. 

Denmark. 

U.  S.  Berry,  N.  H. 

Danube. 

Darby. 

Jno.  A.  Andrew,  Mass. 

Dalton. 

Dresden. 

Wm.  A.  Buckingham,  Ct. 

Dryden. 

Dolphin. 

Wm.  Sprague,  R.  I. 

Dragon. 

, 

Damon. 

Fred.  Holbrook,  Vt. 

Dublin. 

Durham. 

E.  D.  Morgan,  N.  Y. 

Diana. 

Dawn. 

Chas.  S.  Olden,  N.  J. 

Devon. 

Domain. 

A.  G.  Curtin,  Pa. 

Dropsy. 

Damask. 

Wm.  R.  Barton,  Del. 

Dimple. 

Dagger. 

A.  W.  Bradford,  Md. 

Darling. 

Dauphin. 

F.  H.  Pierpont,  Va. 

Dentist. 

Dirgie. 

David  Todd,  0. 

Discount 

Dismal. 

Austin  Blair,  Mich. 

Divine. 

Docket. 

0.  P.  Morton,  Ind. 

Dodge. 

Drill. 

Richard  Yates,  111. 

Drum. 

Duke. 

Edward  Solomon,  Wis. 

Duchess. 

Dungeon. 

Sam'l  J.  Kirkwood,  la. 

Dumps. 

Europe. 

Alexander  Ramsay,  Minn. 

Empire. 

Egypt. 

H.  R.  Gamble,  Mo. 

Emblem. 

Eagle. 

B.  Magoffin,  Ky. 

Essex. 

Eddy. 

Andy  Johnson,  Tenn. 

RIVERS. 

Emmet. 

France. 

Arkansas. 

Frog. 

Golden.      Shenandoah. 

Goose. 

Feather. 

Big  Sandy. 

Filter. 

Gondola.    Savannah. 

Granby. 

Flanders 

.  Cumberland. 

Flannel. 

Grammar.  St.  M< 

iry's. 

Gregory. 

Flint. 

Chowan. 

Florida. 

Godwin.     Tennessee. 

Gliddon. 

Fool. 

Cape  Fear. 

Fox. 

Griffin.       Tar. 

Gifford. 

Fork. 

Chickahominy 

.  Fraction. 

Guns.         Trent 

Girls. 

Gideon. 

Edisto. 

Gabriel. 

Grapes.      Tombigbee. 

Growl. 

Gotham. 

Elizabeth. 

Galena. 

Grub.         White  River. 

Grunt. 

Galway. 

Kanawha. 

Garden. 

Hagar.       York. 

Homer. 

Gallon. 

Mississippi. 

Gourd. 

Horace.      Yazoc 

. 

Harvey. 

Garter. 

Neuse. 

Germany. 

Hamlet.     James  River. 

Hannibal. 

Georgia. 

Ohio. 

Genoa. 

Hebrew.     Pamunkey. 

Hindoo. 

Geneva. 

Ogechee. 

Gaul. 

Harvard.    Big  Black. 

Humboldt. 

Gem. 

Potomac. 

Ginseng. 

Hastings.  Acqui 

a  Creek. 

Haven. 

Ginger. 

Rappahannock.  Gland. 

Harlem.     Pearl. 

Hampden. 

Girdle. 

Rap  id  an. 

Granada. 

Holland.    Tallahatchie. 

Honduras. 

Glasgow 

Roanoke. 

Gilead. 

Hungary.  Chickasaw  Bay ou.Hunger. 

Globe. 

Red  River. 

Glover. 

APPENDIX. 

'S7t 

Forts. 

Hemlock 

Delaware. 

Hemp. 

Huron. 

Pulaski. 

Hang. 

Hymen. 

Hatteras. 

Hair. 

Hunter. 

Pickens. 

Happy. 

Herald. 

Jackson. 

Harp. 

Harlot. 

Randolph. 

ft  J 
Hatchet. 

Highness 

Key  West. 

History. 

Hoax. 

Sumter. 

Hotel. 

Hosanna. 

Lafayette. 

Husband. 

Humbug. 

Wool. 

Huckster. 

Hammock.     Monroe. 

Hammer. 

Haddock 

Warren, 

Humphrey. 

Holly. 

Macon. 

Hero. 

Harmony 

Cedar  Keys. 

Hawley. 

PLACES. 

Ida. 

Abingdon. 

Ink. 

Mastiff. 

Memphis. 

Melon. 

Irving. 

Augusta. 

Ingress. 

Mentor. 

Murfreesboro. 

Meridian. 

Ingrate. 

Atlanta. 

Ingot. 

Merlin. 

New  York. 

Midas. 

Albany. 

Indus. 

Milan. 

Norfolk. 

Milk. 

Indigo. 

Boston. 

Infant. 

Mint. 

New  Orleans. 

Image. 

Baltimore. 

Insanity. 

Mohawk 

.  Newburn. 

Monarch. 

Ireland. 

Beaufort. 

Italy. 

Monster. 

Natchez. 

Montrose. 

Baton  Rouge. 

Ivory. 

Moon. 

Nashville. 

Moscow. 

Jacob. 

Culpeper. 

Myrtle. 

Portland. 

Mystic. 

Jonah. 

Charleston. 

Jordan. 

Maroon. 

Philadelphia. 

Mellow. 

Judah. 

Charlottesville 

.     John. 

Music. 

Port  Royal. 

Maxim. 

Juno. 

Charlotte. 

Jupiter. 

Mud. 

Pensacola. 

Muss. 

Japan. 

City  Point. 

Jersey. 

Nabob. 

Petersburg. 

Nankin. 

Jasmine. 

Chattanooga. 

Nestor. 

Raleigh. 

Nettle. 

Java. 

Corinth. 

Jamaica. 

Neptune 

Richmond. 

Negus. 

Jargon. 

Cumberland  Gap.Jaundice. 

Niagara. 

Savannah. 

Nile. 

Jaunt. 

Port  Hudson. 

Javelin. 

Nose. 

Suffolk. 

Nasty. 

Jolly. 

Little  Rock. 

Journal. 

Nutmeg. 

Staunton. 

Nugget. 

Keate. 

Danville. 

Kindle. 

Nuptial. 

Salisbury. 

Negro. 

King. 

Decatur. 

Kingdom. 

Niggard. 

Stevenson. 

Nuisance. 

Knell. 

Elizabeth  City 

.    Knight. 

Nurse. 

Sperryville. 

Nymph. 

Kenaebec 

Farmington. 

Kidnap. 

Opal. 

Tuscumbia. 

Oyster. 

Knapsack.  Fredericksburg.  Kitchen. 

Offal. 

Urban  a. 

Olive. 

Kasson. 

Florence. 

Kunkle. 

Oakum. 

Vicksburg. 

Odor. 

Lady. 

Galveston. 

Lamb. 

Oats. 

Williamsburg. 

Oil. 

Lantern. 

Gordonsville. 

Lafitte. 

Optic. 

Winchester. 

Orbit. 

Lapland. 

Goldsboro. 

Language. 

Orchard. 

Witherville. 

Owl. 

Lark. 

Grenada. 

Lawn. 

Oxide. 

Weldon. 

Ordnance. 

Leghorn. 

Helena 

Legend. 

Peru. 

Wilmington. 

Persia. 

Lehigh. 

Holly  Springs. 

Leopard. 

Pagan. 

Washington. 

Pagoda. 

Liberia. 

Humboldt. 

Lobster. 

Palate. 

Yorktown. 

Palsy. 

Lock. 

Jackson. 

Locust. 

Panther. 

Yazoo  City. 

Pelican. 

Logan. 

Kingsville. 

Luther. 

Pardon. 

Haine's  Bluff 

Parson. 

Luna. 

Lynchburg. 

Limpid. 

Patent. 

Milliken'sBend 

.  Patron. 

Lonesome. 

Mobile. 

Lester. 

Peasant. 

Napoleon,  Ark. 

Perfume. 

Magnet. 

Manassas. 

Madder. 

Pewter. 

Port  Gibson. 

Pilot. 

Madrid 

Montgomery. 

Magic. 

Princess. 

Grand  Gulf. 

Pilgrim. 

Magnolia. 

Meridian. 

Malta. 

376 


THE  MILITARY   TELEGRAPH. 


CONFEDERATE    GENERALS. 


Plato. 

Morgan. 

Plaintield. 

Quiucy. 

Wheeler. 

Quitman. 

Plum. 

Chalmers. 

Pocket. 

Quiver. 

Breckenridge. 

Quack. 

Polk. 

Buckner. 

Pontiac. 

Quadrant.  Bragg. 

Quadroon 

Poplar. 

W.  H.T.Walker.  Portage. 

Queenly. 

Johnston. 

Quotient. 

Prescott. 

Lee. 

Preston. 

Quince. 

Marmaduke. 

Question. 

Priuceton 

.  Beauregard. 

•  Prospect. 

Query. 

Price. 

Quick. 

Putnam. 

Loring. 

Pickets. 

Quorum. 

Pemberton. 

Quarrel. 

Quaker. 

Forrest. 

Queen. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Randolph 

.  Arms. 

Raymond. 

Shylock. 

Regiments. 

Stanhope. 

Richard. 

Artillery. 

Rodney. 

Spur. 

Right  Flank. 

Spruce. 

Ramsay. 

Ammunition. 

Ransom. 

Star. 

Siege  Guns. 

Sugar. 

Robin. 

Batteries. 

Raven. 

Sulphur. 

Smooth  Bore. 

Squash. 

Rabbit. 

Bridge. 

Racine. 

Sweden. 

Scouts. 

Sutton. 

Raleigh. 

Brigade. 

Reading. 

Smyrna. 

Scouting. 

Sidney. 

Relay. 

Cavalry. 

Roanoke. 

Sligo. 

Scouting  Party.  Stephen. 

Ripley. 

Cannon. 

Richland. 

Stanley. 

Sailing  Vessels 

>.  Swallow. 

Ridge. 

Convoys. 

Rome. 

Summer. 

Skirmishers. 

Summit. 

Rose. 

Coast. 

Rockland. 

Sylvan. 

Stragglers. 

Steuben. 

Roland. 

Carbines. 

Rubens. 

Swindle. 

Steamboats. 

Surgery. 

Ramble. 

Deserters. 

Rampant. 

Supper. 

Telegraphs. 

Superb. 

Rapture. 

Engineers. 

Ravish. 

Stomach. 

Transportation 

.  Stagger. 

Reptile. 

Entrenchment. 

Ragged. 

Spunky. 

Volunteers. 

Squadron. 

Retrench. 

Earthworks. 

Review. 

Spoon. 

Transports. 

Spit. 

Reward. 

Forts. 

Romance. 

Valley. 

Brigadier  Gen'l.  Vermont. 

Rusty. 

Fleet. 

Ruffle. 

Vernon. 

Major  General 

Vermin. 

Saco. 

Flotilla. 

Salem. 

Venus. 

Colonel. 

Vesper. 

Saginaw. 

Fortifications. 

Scotland. 

Vienna. 

Major. 

Village. 

Sandy. 

Forage. 

Saint. 

Virtue. 

Captain. 

Vulcan. 

Saxon. 

Guns. 

Savory. 

V  ulture. 

Lieutenant. 

Vomit. 

Sampson. 

Gunboats. 

Salmon. 

Vincent. 

Quartermaster. 

Vinton. 

Seneca. 

Guards. 

Sexton. 

Violet. 

Paymaster. 

Virgin. 

Saffron. 

Harbor. 

Sable. 

Vista. 

Surgeon. 

Volcano. 

Segment. 

Infantry. 

Seymour. 

Walden. 

Attack. 

Wales. 

Shandy. 

Island. 

Shaker. 

Wafer. 

Advance. 

Wallace. 

Saddle. 

Mortar  Boats. 

Shallow. 

Walpole. 

Army. 

Walnut. 

Shannon. 

Marines. 

Sharon. 

Warner. 

Battle. 

Warsaw. 

Shark. 

Mortars. 

Spark. 

Warwick. 

Cutoff. 

Wampum. 

Sharper. 

Pickets. 

Sheffield. 

Watkins. 

Casualties. 

Watson. 

Shelby. 

Projectiles. 

Shelter. 

Wayland. 

Capture. 

Wayne. 

Shoal. 

Point. 

Smoky. 

Weakness 

.  Defensive. 

Webb. 

Silver. 

Regulars. 

Snake. 

Welch. 

Defend. 

Weldon. 

Simms. 

Rebels. 

Snow. 

Wells. 

Diversion. 

Wesley. 

Soap. 

Railroad. 

Somers. 

Wharton. 

Division. 

Whip. 

Spafford. 

River. 

Spartan. 

White. 

Equipage. 

Wick. 

Spencer. 

Rifled  Guns. 

Spring. 

Wiley. 

Enemy. 

Windham. 

APPENDIX. 

377 

Windpipe. 

Flank. 

Windsor. 

Whist. 

Wounded. 

Whistle. 

Winthrop. 

Fall  back. 

Woodbine. 

Wrangle. 

Intercept. 

Wreath. 

Woodford. 

Feint. 

Woodland. 

Wriggle. 

Cipher. 

Wrinkle. 

Woolwich. 

Fight. 

Wyoming. 

Wadding. 

Arrest. 

Waggish. 

Walrus. 

Killed. 

Webster. 

Weston. 

Spy. 

Wisdom. 

Wag. 

Left  Wing. 

Waltz. 

Washington.Traitor. 

Wilcox. 

Warden. 

Missing. 

Warp. 

Wooster. 

Treasonable. 

Worcester 

Waspish. 

Outflank. 

Watchman 

World. 

Rear. 

Walker. 

Waxend. 

Offensive. 

Waxy. 

Winston. 

Front. 

Wilkes. 

Wayworn. 

Reconnoissance.  Weasel . 

Wicoff 

Invested. 

Wilson. 

Wean. 

Retreat. 

Weird. 

Wabash. 

Intercept. 

Winona. 

Web. 

Resist. 

Weld. 

Winchester 

.  Embarking. 

Williams- 

Widow. 

Right  Wing. 

Wedding. 

port. 

Wedlock. 

Rifle  Pits. 

Whack. 

Woodbury. 

Assault. 

Waldo. 

Wedge. 

Subsistence. 

Wharf. 

Young. 

Camp. 

Yarmouth. 

Weigh. 

Surprised. 

Wheedle. 

Yancey. 

Head-quarters. 

Yacht. 

Whelp. 

Surrounded. 

Wheaten. 

Yankee. 

Reinforcements.  Yardstick. 

Wherry. 

Skirmish. 

Whig. 

Yellow. 

Recruits. 

Yawl. 

Whiff 

Threaten. 

Whimper. 

Youth. 

Troops. 

Yoke. 

Whinney 

Union. 

Whiskey. 

Zodiac. 

Movements. 

Zebra. 

'UHIVBRSIT7J 


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